'Estate workers should thank President for fair and just settlement'

P. Rajaratnam Nuwara Eliya group corr.

NUWARA ELIYA: A Senior Attorney-At-Law A. P. Kanapathipillay, the President of the United Plantation Workers' Union (C.P.) addressing a meeting at Nuwara Eliya to explain the present wage structure applicable to the plantation workers applauded the estate workers struggle staged in relation to their increase in the wages.

He said devoid of trade unions, the workers themselves displayed their unity and strength so peacefully and said their unity should prevail in the coming years. He deplored certain Trade Union leaders attempting through various methods to crush the unity which they failed for the first time. He added that the workforce had thought such leaders of the fact that they cannot hoodwink the working class in the plantation sector any more.

Kanapathipillay further said the workers should be thankful specially to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who readily intervened on their behalf to bring about a fair and just settlement, at a crucial time to save the industry and the workers in general.

However, he said this important segment of the workforce who were the backbone of the country's economic perspectives for generations have been duly recognised no less than a person like the President of the country, the entire nation but also internationally, on their hard work and their sweat for the well-being of the country and its people.

He called upon the estate workers to take to heart their future responsibilities and discharge their duties for the nation, and its people, so that the rest of the working class in the country will be with them for their future struggles.

He said more seminars and meetings will follow in different parts in the plantation in future.

The meeting was addressed by G. K. Piyadasa, Sundararaj and several others.