'Private sector sans Budget hikes of 2006, 2007'

KURUNEGALA: Private sector employees are up in arms demanding a salary hike in the 2007 Budget. They claimed that the Government has been avoiding private sector salary problems for years despite their protests.

"They contribute over 80 per cent of the national economy. But there is no proper mechanism to increase the salaries of the private sector. The Government ordered an increase of their salaries in the 2006 Budget, but it was not implemented. However as a responsible government, they cannot avoid the private sector, JVP MP and General Secretary Inter-Company Employees Union Wasantha Samarasinghe told the media.

"We have investigated the salaries of 174 private sector institutions and of these 25 institutions are paying a basic salary which is below Rs. 5,000. The basic salary is below Rs. 4,000 in eight companies and below Rs. 3,500 in 27 companies. Now, the basic salary in the Government sector is Rs. 11,000.

How can a private sector employee afford to meet the cost of living Samarasinghe questioned.