ASSESSING THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL SECURITY IN REALITY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF TEA ESTATE WORKERS IN NUWARA-ELIYA, SRI LANKA

Abstract

Despite the concept of social security being developed based on sufficient theoretical foundations mainly focusing on the formal sector workers, scholars have not validated the concept in the context of the informal sector of workers particularly tea estate workers who face many social and economic challenges due to limited access to proper social security systems. Therefore, this study aims to assess the concept of social security that is reflected in the lived experiences of the tea estate workers in Sri Lanka. A qualitative research approach was used, with data collected through in depth interviews from purposively selected nine tea estate workers of one private sector estate at Nuwara-Eliya in Sri Lanka. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns and meanings from their responses. The findings reveal that social security among tea estate workers is largely informal, fragmented, and uncertain. Workers mainly depend on family support, personal savings, and employment-based benefits such as Employment Provident Fund (EPF) and Employment Trust Fund (ETF). Income security is unstable, health and housing support are limited and often linked to employment, and care systems are inadequate, especially for elderly and disabled individuals. While education support for children is relatively better, other services remain weak. Informal networks and crisis support systems exist but are not reliable for long-term security. Additionally, workers face barriers such as language difficulties and social inequality, which limit access to services. The study concludes that there are considerable gaps between the concept of social security and its practical realization in the lived experiences of tea estate workers in Sri Lanka.