Amnesty International has raised serious concerns about labor conditions on tea estates in Sri Lanka, alleging practices tantamount to forced labor. The report, “Abandoned by the State, Trapped in Private Estates,” is based on interviews with 154 workers across 45 estates in the Galle and Matara districts. These findings implicate the operations on private estates, where violations include restricted movement, physical and sexual abuse, peonage, and manipulation of employment status to evade legal protections. This situation has prompted Amnesty International to demand that the Sri Lankan government undertake criminal investigations and targeted inspections. Read more.
The plight of the Malaiyaha Tamil workforce, who have been working Sri Lanka’s tea fields for generations under challenging conditions, reflects a broader systemic issue in labor rights enforcement. Despite Sri Lanka’s commitments on the international stage, including a pledge to eradicate forced labor by 2030, these ambitions appear to fall short within the private sector, where some of the most egregious abuses occur.
This issue aligns with ongoing global concerns about forced labor. For instance, a recent US lawsuit involves claims against US construction firms over labor conditions during FIFA World Cup preparations in Qatar. Furthermore, Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor introduced new guidelines to prevent forced labor, responding to international pressure following reports of migrant worker exploitation. The International Labour Organization highlights the pervasive nature of the problem, noting that forced labor in the private economy generates approximately $236 billion in illegal profits annually.
Amnesty International’s findings have echoed previous critiques, including a June 2024 panel review involving judges from Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal, who reported being “horrified” by workers’ testimonies. This panel pointed to the violation of collective bargaining agreements, contravening both national laws and international labor standards.
The report underscores the need for stringent enforcement of existing labor laws in Sri Lanka. Smriti Singh, Amnesty’s Regional Director for South Asia, emphasized the systematic violations on private estates and criticized the lack of state accountability. She noted that despite legal frameworks presumably safeguarding workers’ rights, the persistence of forced labor indicates a significant enforcement gap.
With international scrutiny intensifying and forced labor issues being litigated and addressed globally, Sri Lanka finds itself at a critical juncture. Whether the government will take substantial steps to address these allegations remains to be seen, with significant implications for its labor commitments and international reputation.
The full report by Amnesty International is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for labor rights and the need for concerted global action to eradicate forced labor practices.