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| Saturday, 31 July 2004 |
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Renewal of bi-annual collective agreement: TUs to meet plantation management company officials by P. Krishnaswamy Three major plantation trade unions will meet 22 plantation management company representatives on August 2 for preliminary discussions on the renewal of the recently expired bi-annual Collective Agreement (CA), on wages and other facilities in respect of the plantation workers. The three Trade Unions - Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC), Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union (LJEWU) and the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC) - which represent a bulk of the plantation workers will mainly press for an upward revision of workers' wages, commensurate with the rising COL index, union sources said. Revision of other facilities and terms and conditions of employment in keeping with the changing situation in the plantation areas will also be discussed, the sources said. The daily wage of a tea worker is Rs. 147 (basic Rs. 121 + COLA Rs. 15 + attendance allowance Rs. 05) while that of a rubber worker is Rs. 131 (basic Rs. 109 + COLA Rs. 22), under the previous agreement signed on July 1, 2002. CWC spokesman R. Yogarajan MP, told the Daily News that their demand for wage increase will be commensurate with the increased COL index and also taking into account the improved prices for tea. LJEWU Secretary General and former MP, K. Velautham said after the Monday meeting they will be submitting a proposal to the management companies on plantation workers' wage increase and other benefits. He said they will insist on an annual wage increase for estate workers. Some trade unions, including the Up Country People's Front led by P. Chandrasekaran MP and the Ceylon Workers' Alliance led by former MP T.V. Chennan, expressed reservations about the terms of the CA which were advantageous to the management. These unions are unable to take part in the discussions over the CA with the managements because their membership strength is short of the requisite level.
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