Salary hike for private sector

Irangika Range

COLOMBO: The Government has decided to increase the wages of the private sector and the monthly minimum wage will be Rs.5000.

This decision will be implemented from May 1, Labour Day, and the minimum wage will be Rs. 6,000 with the budgetary relief allowance of Rs.1000 which was allocated from last budget.

Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratna told the media yesterday that as a whole, wages have increased from 30 per cent to 81 per cent of employees who engage in different trades of the private sector controlled by Wages Boards.

Employees’ Wages decided by the Labour Commissioner in four trades including batik, glassware manufacturing, pre-school and cleaning and sanitation are also included in the scheme.

The minister said this was a request by around 11 unions to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

This would vastly benefit around five million private sector employees. With the increase of Cost of Living in the country, the salaries have increased several times for Government servants but there have been no salary increment for the private sector employees.

All three parties including employees, employers and the Labour Department agreed with this decision after extensive discussions. The Minister said many pickets and protests were conducted by trade unions to reach this decision.

Other incentives, EPF,ETF, overtime of private sector employees will also be increased with this wage revision. This decision was taken under the instructions of the National Labour Advisory Board and it would be implemented through 45 Wages Boards.

Over 50 per cent salary increases will be granted to employees of over 30 trades including tea export, engineering, brick and tiles manufacturing, liquor and vinegar, baking, ice and aerated waters, fruit juice and jam, garment manufacturing, biscuit and coffee manufacturing, rubber, , plastic and petroleum products, tanning, footwear and leather goods, ceramic products manufacturing, prawn culture and export, motor transport, cinema, retail trade. “We are also exploring possibilities to decide the monthly minimum wages as a Rs.5000 for the journalists who work as regional correspondents,” the Minister said.