"British brand Clipper promises slave-free tea", 15 Nov 2018

British tea brand Clipper released a list of its Indian suppliers on Thursday, joining a growing campaign to improve worker conditions in the state of Assam and rid the industry of widespread abuse.

"We believe that providing transparency on where we source our tea from will help build a more sustainable supply chain by empowering all stakeholders in the tea industry," said Rebecca Vercoe, Clipper Teas brand controller.

The upmarket tea brand was the fourth to reveal all the plantations it uses in India's Assam state for its black tea.

It was also the most detailed, with the names and addresses of all estates listed, according to the charity Traidcraft Exchange, which called on other brands to follow suit.

India's tea industry, the second largest in the world after China's, employs 3.5 million workers, many of whom are paid below minimum wage and live in poverty on the plantations where they work, research has shown.

Tea grown in Assam, in northeast India, is used in many blends sold by British tea companies...

But it is also the site of widespread worker abuse and underpayment, according to research into the industry.