JVP estate union launches awareness campaign

Rasika Somarathna

COLOMBO: An islandwide awareness campaign is to be launched by All Ceylon Estate Workers Union affiliated to the JVP with regards to salary anomalies and lack of infrastructure facilities among the estate community.

"As a result of the privatisation process most estates were bought up by private companies in 1996. Since then these plantation groups have chosen two Unions the CWC and the UNP affiliated union as the representatives of the entire estate community". "They have been signing a memorandum with these unions with regard to salary increases every two years. But up to now these sectors have failed to do justice to the aspirations of the estate workers".

"As such, a community which contributed significantly to the growth of the National economy for 180 years is still languishing in the bottom rung of the social strata", President of the ACEWU and Member of Parliament Ramalingam Chandrasekaran said addressing a media gathering in Colombo yesterday.

Chandrasekaran appealed to the Government to intervene in the matter as the previous agreement between the two parties had expired on June 30. "The daily wage of a Tea estate labourer is a mere Rs. 135 and for rubber estate worker the amount is Rs. 125. From 2002 to 2006 the increase has been only a pathetic Rs. 13. If you consider this raise in the context of the present day cost of living it is outrageous", Ramalingam said.

The Union is planning to muster the support of all parties within the estate community for finding a viable solution to the grievances faced by the estate workers.