Demands by tea pickers should not be allowed to kill the sector

The impact of austerity-era cuts is being felt across the country. Teachers, university lecturers, labourers in the private sector and several public servants are facing stagnant pay, delayed salaries and wages, and longer working hours. Younger workers have been hit hardest and, in some cases, are on reduced pay scales, facing low employment levels and struggling to make ends meet.

Against this backdrop, there is rising militancy among some trade unions and a growing appetite to reject productivity measures linked to negotiated pay deals.