Tetley tea's involvement in working poverty in India

[BadFish]

Sorry if fixtures,

No more Tetley in my house!


http://www.theguardian.com/global-d...-tea-maids-real-price-cup-tea-video?CMP=fb_gu

Online petition to sign

http://action.sumofus.org/a/tetley-tea-tata/?sub=tw#null

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Good find and hardly surprising. I've twittered them and expect I will not get a response.

 

[TomandJerry]

Signed

 

[BadFish]

Good find and hardly surprising. I've twittered them and expect I will not get a response.

good on you, I am going to email them when I get back from Football.Let us know if you hear anything.

 

[BadFish]

According to their Australian Website they are part of the "ethical tea partnership".

http:/http://www.tetley.com.au/about-us/ethical-tea-partnership/

 

[BadFish]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10634065/Abused-workers-toil-for-Tetley-tea.html

http://grist.org/news/your-tetley-tea-wont-taste-so-good-after-you-read-this/

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Tata Global Beverages brands

 

[hybrid_x]

Almost every food or drink product "in a packet" has levels of toxicity in it's production........if this sort of thing is new to you and shocking i seek to see a picture of what rock you have been hiding under.

 

[BadFish]

Almost every food or drink product "in a packet" has levels of toxicity in it's production........if this sort of thing is new to you and shocking i seek to see a picture of what rock you have been hiding under.

No one has suggested anything new or shocking but thanks for your input.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

I think it was Simon Reeve who recently did a programme on the tea trail,woryh a watch if you haven't seen it as most of his programmes are. From what I recall Tetleys were certainly not the only tea Co exploiting their workers.

 

[£1.99]

Petition signed

 

[BadFish]

My response from Tetley if anyone is interested

I understand your concern, and as a founding member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Tetley (and our parent company Tata Global Beverages) takes this issue very seriously.

The Guardian has highlighted a very serious social issue which deeply concerns us, but has mistakenly claimed that the plantation in question supplies Tetley internationally. The simple fact is that this plantation does not supply Tetley internationally. The report was also wrong to suggest that criminal trafficking is a consequence of the amount the tea industry pays in India and overlooks the fact that trafficking, sadly, can occur in any quarter of society. Tea pickers' wages in Assam are set not by any individual company but by an industry-wide wage settlement arrived under a tripartite agreement between the Assam government, the workers union recognized by the government, and the India Tea Association. Therefore, such wages apply equally to all tea plantation companies in Assam, which have been supplying and continue to supply many of the world's tea brands.

The tea plantation Company described in the Guardian article in an independently managed company called APPL (Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited) in which Tata Global Beverages holds an equity stake. As a responsible company, Tata Global Beverages, owner of the Tetley brand, has decided last week to immediately commission an independent third party audit on living and working conditions in the APPL tea plantations and will address any areas and issues identified.

I hope this helps to address your concerns. If you are interested in more information about what the Ethical Tea Partnership is doing to address many of the issues facing the tea industry and its workers, please go to www.ethicalteapartnership.org .

Kind regards,

Can't say it has particulaly satisfied me..... or answered my question about a minimum wage. So I have had another go.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Just went to watch the Pardew headbutt video on The Guardian website....and had to sit through a Tetley Tea advert beforehand.

 

[drew]

My response from Tetley if anyone is interested

I understand your concern, and as a founding member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, Tetley (and our parent company Tata Global Beverages) takes this issue very seriously.

The Guardian has highlighted a very serious social issue which deeply concerns us, but has mistakenly claimed that the plantation in question supplies Tetley internationally. The simple fact is that this plantation does not supply Tetley internationally. The report was also wrong to suggest that criminal trafficking is a consequence of the amount the tea industry pays in India and overlooks the fact that trafficking, sadly, can occur in any quarter of society. Tea pickers' wages in Assam are set not by any individual company but by an industry-wide wage settlement arrived under a tripartite agreement between the Assam government, the workers union recognized by the government, and the India Tea Association. Therefore, such wages apply equally to all tea plantation companies in Assam, which have been supplying and continue to supply many of the world's tea brands.

The tea plantation Company described in the Guardian article in an independently managed company called APPL (Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited) in which Tata Global Beverages holds an equity stake. As a responsible company, Tata Global Beverages, owner of the Tetley brand, has decided last week to immediately commission an independent third party audit on living and working conditions in the APPL tea plantations and will address any areas and issues identified.

I hope this helps to address your concerns. If you are interested in more information about what the Ethical Tea Partnership is doing to address many of the issues facing the tea industry and its workers, please go to www.ethicalteapartnership.org .

Kind regards,

Can't say it has particulaly satisfied me..... or answered my question about a minimum wage. So I have had another go.

I would have thought that was not an unreasonable reply from a global company! They have explained how the wage is agreed so that, on the face of it, is not entirely down to them. That doesn't necessarily make it a living wage but then I don't know the cost of living in that part of the world. Whether anything comes from their investigation will remain to be seen.

I'm not defending them but I'm equally not sure exactly what you were expecting?

 

[Simster]

I tend to agree with drew - a very reasonable response.

At what point is the government of India actually responsible for the well being of it's own citizens rather than global companies? India - a supposed democracy - lets off militias who go round slaughtering "untouchables", so it's a bit rich of people outside the country to be tut-tutting over wages offered by global companies.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

Isn't is sad and quite pathetic how pretentious some poeple are on subjects like this.

I take it everyone who signs that petition, or makes comments against Tetley, have never brought cheap clothes from the likes of Asda or elsewhere.

I take it that they have never brought a "made in china" toy for a child

I take it that they have never brought cheap meat from a supermarket.

Heaven forbid I take it that they have never visited a pound shop or 99p store,

How do they think us in the West have all these cheap goods? Do they think the tea fairies grow and pick it, or Santa's elfs make all the toys.

Nearly anything you buy that's made in Asia or Africa, is going to have some degree of cheap labor involved. The only way of avoiding it, is to avoid these products.

Do you honestly think any of the tea producers differs in their practices. They have to keep costs to a minimum so that they can keep their cost price to a mnimum, as the same people who moan about these practices, are probably the same people who will buy a rival brand if its a few pennies cheaper.

I am not for one second saying what happens if right, but I just hope anyone who speak out against them, or signs the petition to make themselves feel better, never ever purchase another product that is made in Asia again, because if they do it makes them a hypocritical pretentious ****!

 

[BadFish]

I would have thought that was not an unreasonable reply from a global company! They have explained how the wage is agreed so that, on the face of it, is not entirely down to them. That doesn't necessarily make it a living wage but then I don't know the cost of living in that part of the world. Whether anything comes from their investigation will remain to be seen.

I'm not defending them but I'm equally not sure exactly what you were expecting?

Fantastic response really, especially if you consider that it arrived the day after I emailed them. I also got a response to my further email within a couple of hours. I can't fault them on that score. All I meant was that I am not really any the wiser. But as you quite rightly say, what did I expect?

 

[BadFish]

Isn't is sad and quite pathetic how pretentious some poeple are on subjects like this.

I take it everyone who signs that petition, or makes comments against Tetley, have never brought cheap clothes from the likes of Asda or elsewhere.

I take it that they have never brought a "made in china" toy for a child

I take it that they have never brought cheap meat from a supermarket.

Heaven forbid I take it that they have never visited a pound shop or 99p store,

How do they think us in the West have all these cheap goods? Do they think the tea fairies grow and pick it, or Santa's elfs make all the toys.

Nearly anything you buy that's made in Asia or Africa, is going to have some degree of cheap labor involved. The only way of avoiding it, is to avoid these products.

Do you honestly think any of the tea producers differs in their practices. They have to keep costs to a minimum so that they can keep their cost price to a mnimum, as the same people who moan about these practices, are probably the same people who will buy a rival brand if its a few pennies cheaper.

I am not for one second saying what happens if right, but I just hope anyone who speak out against them, or signs the petition to make themselves feel better, never ever purchase another product that is made in Asia again, because if they do it makes them a hypocritical pretentious ****!

A load of nonsense on many levels. I would expect that the people who signed the petition try to make decent choices as far as they can. Personally I can't afford to make all the choices I would like to but I do make as many as I can and do what i can. If people continue to make better choices instead of excuses then perhaps things will slowly improve.

Nothing pretentious about it, just people doing what they can. Might not be much but it is better than nothing. Not being able to solve a problem is a poor excuse for doing nothing.

 

[Tubby-McFat-Fuc]

A load of nonsense on many levels. I would expect that the people who signed the petition try to make decent choices as far as they can. Personally I can't afford to make all the choices I would like to but I do make as many as I can and do what i can. If people continue to make better choices instead of excuses then perhaps things will slowly improve.

Nothing pretentious about it, just people doing what they can. Might not be much but it is better than nothing. Not being able to solve a problem is a poor excuse for doing nothing.

Talking of nonsense, just look what you typed!! You cannot afford to make the choices Well, that is why you buy cheap things like this tea. What do you think would happen if all the worker are all paid what you consider to be a fair wage?

I'll tell you what will happen, prices would rise, to the extent you would have no choices to make!

By buying cheap goods, you are directly fueling this type of labor, whether by choice or not. So I would call it pretentious to be part of the fuel of the problem, and then go and moan about it and sign petitions.

If you feel to have to do something to stop it, stop buying the goods. FULL STOP. Otherwise if everyone only does a little to stop it, it will never slowly improve. If anything it will only get worse.

It's similar to vegetarians. The ones that bleat on about how we should stop eating meat and how cruel it is, yet stand there saying these things in a pair of leather shoes with their strides being held up with a leather belt. Whilst I don't agree with vegans, I can 100% respect their views unlike veggies who pick and choose and just make idiots of themselves.

So picking and choosing what you can do to help, will make absolutely no difference what so ever. Signing petitions is a complete waste of time as all the time us in the west buy goods from these countries, it will never ever stop, in fact will probably only get worse...... but hey, it might make you feel better about yourself, but in reality it will do nothing to help these people.

 

[BadFish]

Talking of nonsense, just look what you typed!! You cannot afford to make the choices Well, that is why you buy cheap things like this tea. What do you think would happen if all the worker are all paid what you consider to be a fair wage?

I'll tell you what will happen, prices would rise, to the extent you would have no choices to make!

By buying cheap goods, you are directly fueling this type of labor, whether by choice or not. So I would call it pretentious to be part of the fuel of the problem, and then go and moan about it and sign petitions.

If you feel to have to do something to stop it, stop buying the goods. FULL STOP. Otherwise if everyone only does a little to stop it, it will never slowly improve. If anything it will only get worse.

It's similar to vegetarians. The ones that bleat on about how we should stop eating meat and how cruel it is, yet stand there saying these things in a pair of leather shoes with their strides being held up with a leather belt. Whilst I don't agree with vegans, I can 100% respect their views unlike veggies who pick and choose and just make idiots of themselves.

So picking and choosing what you can do to help, will make absolutely no difference what so ever. Signing petitions is a complete waste of time as all the time us in the west buy goods from these countries, it will never ever stop, in fact will probably only get worse...... but hey, it might make you feel better about yourself, but in reality it will do nothing to help these people.

Like I say I am happy that I do what I can, I don't buy many cheap goods and I don't buy from companies that I know are not doing the right thing. Because I cannot afford to make all the choices I would like to should not stop me from doing what I can. That is just a poor excuse for doing nothing.