Estate TUs opt for strike on pay hike

COLOMBO: The Ceylon Workers’ Congress, the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers’ Union and the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre, signatories to the Collective Agreement with the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon relating to the plantation workers had demanded that the decision of the Minister of Labour to grant a minimum wage of Rs. 5,000 to all workers in the private sector be extended to plantation workers too.

The wages of private sector workers were increased through the Wages Board governing 35 trades other than the Tea Growing and Manufacturing Trade and the Rubber Growing and Manufacturing Trade. Discussions were held with the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and the Minister of Labour regarding this demand.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa instructed the Minister of Labour to immediately discuss with the employers and enable the grant of the unions in the plantations which he felt was just and reasonable.

Three rounds of discussions have taken place with the Minister of Labour between the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon and the Trade Unions. However no fruitful solution has resulted through the discussions though the Minister of Labour made a valuable effort. This situation has led to a stalemate and pushed the Trade Unions towards trade union action.

The CWC, LJEWU and JPTUC have jointly called upon the workers to prepare for a joint trade union action.