Before you #brew another #cupoftea, you might want to #read this.

While they harvest your tea, workers on Sri Lanka's plantations are barely protected from COVID-19. Sign Now Dear friends, The workers on tea plantations in Sri Lanka were already doing backbreaking work, living in tight quarters, and getting paid as little as 10 cents per day. Now, add to that list being forced to work during a pandemic with almost no health protections. The industry has been rife with human rights abuses for many years — and now the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing them into sharp relief. We know that those most affected by emergencies are the already vulnerable, disadvantaged, and marginalised. These workers need our help now more than ever. Sri Lanka, like nearly every country in the world, has some social distancing guidelines in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. But workers on tea plantations are not allowed to take these critical precautions. Some farms have provided cloth masks to their workers — but are deducting the price of the masks from the workers' paychecks. Other employers have provided nothing. Due to the heat, workers are touching their faces all day to wipe away sweat, yet there is nowhere for them to wash their hands with soap during their shifts. At night, they go back to overcrowded quarters with shared bathrooms, which they cannot leave all night due to the nationwide curfew. These are the perfect conditions for the virus to spread, not to mention increased rates of domestic abuse (these workers are mostly women). These are innocent people and they need your voice, as Sri Lanka is using this pandemic to silence anyone who is outwardly critical of the government. Please sign the petition to put pressure on Sri Lanka to protect these workers right now! Thank you,   Lauren W. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. These workers deserve to be protected from this pandemic just as much as anyone else. Please sign the petition.