The Industrial Dispute Acts promulgated by the Government of India in 1947 provides for a machinery for settlement of industrial disputes in all industries including the Plantations. The State Labour Department's conciliation machinery is available for resolution of disputes. In case of failure of conciliation, there is scope for reference of dispute to Labour Courts or Industrial Tribunals.

In the tea plantations in North East, however, a unique system has evolved for settlement of grievances over the years. The Associations Branches located in the tea areas provide a support service on a day-to-day basis to tea estate Managers, particularly in the field of industrial relations. The Branches offer advisory services on labour matters to the member estates. These include handling of labour disputes arising in any individual tea estate and negotiating with the Union or the Unions for settlement of such disputes/grievances. In fact, whenever, a dispute arises in any tea estate or a labour problem is anticipated, the Manager of the tea estate gets in touch with the officials of the Association's Branch located in the area and is offered full assistance in solving the problem. The Branches have such "level of credibility" that the Unions too get in touch with the Branch officials for resolution of any problem or potential problem. The workers in the tea plantations are highly unionised. While Assam has only one representative union of the workers, in West Bengal a large number of Unions operate in the tea estates. But harmonious relationship has evolved over the years through the efforts of the ITA and its Branches which allows resolution of most disputes in an amicable manner. This is not to say that some disputes do not assume serious proportions leading to strikes and lock-outs but their numbers are insignificant considering the number of tea estates located in a region.

The support servicesof the Branches and the Zones of ITA extend beyond handling of industrial relations. Any problem of tea estates, whether of individual or collective nature, relating to land, supply of inputs, supply of power, law and order etc. which require interaction with Government or outside agencies are handled by ITA Branches/Zonesand the Head Office in Calcutta. The grass root services given by ITA though its Branches/Zones is unique in its nature.