Minimum Rs 5,000 wage for estate workers

Chamikara Weerasinghe

The Sri Lanka Employers’ Federation yesterday signed a two-year Collective Agreement with Plantation Trade Unions, ending a two-week long strike by plantation workers over their demand for increased wages.

The new Agreement has placed the minimum wage of a plantation worker at Rs. 5,000. This move follows discussions President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with employers and trade unions.

The minimum daily wage of the plantation workers has been increased from Rs. 170 to Rs. 290 with the increased allowances under the Agreement, a Labour Ministry spokesman said.

The Agreement was signed before Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne by the officials of the Employers’ Federation and Plantation Trade Unions.

The leaders of the plantation Trade Unions, Minister Arumugam Thondaman of Ceylon Workers’ Congress, Welayuthan of Lanka Jathika Estate Trade Union and Chandrasena of Joint Plantation Workers’ Trade Union Centre signed the Agreement with the officials of the Employers’ Federation, S. K. L. Obeysekera, the Chairman of the Plantation Services Group and FED Director General Ravi Peiris.

The Employers’ Federation is reported to have agreed to sign the deal with the Plantation Trade Unions on the directions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who met the officials of the Employers’ Federation and the representatives of the Plantation Trade Unions at the Temple Trees on Tuesday.

President Rajapaksa had told the Employers’ Federation that it was necessary to treat the plantation workers as an essential sector considering their contribution to the country’s national income.

President Rajapaksa had said that it was fair to give the workers a pay hike considering the increasing demand and high rates for tea.

Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne maintained that he would always stand for the development of the Plantation Industry and was prepared to give his maximum support to provide the necessary services needed from the Government in this regard.