RPCs partner Government to protect estate communities against COVID-19

The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) has commended exhaustive measures taken by Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) in partnership with the Government and health authorities to minimize the risk of COVID-19 being transmitted into estate communities, and urged strict and continuous vigilance moving forward. 

Operations on RPC estates were halted on March 13 in compliance with the Government’s direction to all citizens to work from home and avoid public places, and the subsequent declaration of curfew on March 20, the PA said in a media release. 

Since then, RPC estate managers and their teams of employees have been working in close partnership with health authorities and regional officers of the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT) in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among estate communities. 

Existing lines of communications between Government, management and workers were immediately deployed to raise the alarm and educate workers and estate community members on all safety measures to be implemented. 

“Contrary to what some small trade unions have been falsely claiming in local and international media, the response against COVID-19 in the plantation sector has been unprecedented and exhaustive. Upon the formation of a Plantation Task Force to combat the spread of this virus, the plantation sector was the very first to jump into action. All stakeholders rallied around Government authorities to support health officials and safeguard estate communities in every way possible. A great deal has been accomplished in a very short time and we are extremely grateful for the support provided by the Government, the RPCs, and especially the estate communities themselves in abiding by all directives. Throughout, health and law enforcement officials together with RPC employees have been working tirelessly to safeguard the RPC workforce of approximately 135,000 as well as the wider estate community of more than 1 million individuals. The risks created by this pandemic are not expected to abate in the near future hence we must remain absolutely vigilant, and RPCs will of course continue to strictly adhere to all Government directives and take every possible measure to protect these communities moving forward,” PA Chairman, Sunil Poholiyadde said in the release.    

All workers have been issued protective masks from existing stockpiles, or from repurposed materials where there was an immediate shortage of masks. Similarly, strict social distancing has been enforced at all times including during operations in the field, factories, and within residential and public areas in the estates themselves.

The PA noted that there had been some instances where workers and estate community members have been compelled to resort to improvised masks owing to shortages of such equipment in the region.

The association reiterated that in every possible instance, RPCs have issued protective masks to employees and provided detailed instructions on their proper use, with some RPCs taking the extra measure of manufacturing masks within their own factories in order to address immediate shortfalls in supply. All masks provided to workers and estate communities have been provided free of charge. 

An additional 7,000 individuals have returned to the estates from Colombo and other parts of the island. In each and every instance, all returnees were successfully registered with records being taken of their travel histories, before being placed in quarantine, which had been specially established during the 4-day gap in operations. Only once these initial safety protocols had been cleared were returnees allowed to enter the estates and enter into lockdown with the rest of the community. 

Supply of food
Ably supported by Government officials, each RPC ensured that the supply of essential food and rations remains uninterrupted through the crisis. These measures included the provision of interest free loans raised by using Ministry funds and RPC funds to generate Rs. 200 million which was utilized solely for issuing dry rations directly to the estate communities. These rations included rice, lentils, flour and several other essentials. 

Special measures have also been taken in partnership with Government authorities to deliver rations directly to the estates, in order to avoid situations where community members would have otherwise been forced to stand in long queues. The support of state retailer CWE was obtained in order to ensure these supplies reached estate communities in a timely fashion.