In the past 33 years, there has only been an increase of 2 paise in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for as many as 3.5 lakh permanent plantation workers in Kerala, shows the reply to a Right to Information (RTI ) query by Munnar resident and former plantation worker Karim Ibrahim.
The workers from tea, coffee, cardamom, and rubber plantations have been included in the sector. A group of plantation workers from Munnar have filed a complaint to the Labour Minister demanding a meaningful increase in DA.
Mr. Ibrahim said that from 1990-2023, the DA for plantation workers in the State increased only by 2 paise. “The DA for State government officials has increased 37% in the past 10 years,” he said.
