Expedite Collective Agreement - Estate Workers’ Union

The All Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union in a letter addressed to Labour Relations and Human Resources Minister Athauda Seneviratne, has requested the Minister to expedite the Collective Agreement of the Estate Workers.

The Collective Agreement expired in March 2009 and it has not been revised to effect the salary increment of the estate workers.

This state of affairs has adversely affected the livelihood of these hapless workers, especially in the present context where essential items have gone up in price.

These workers have not been granted the relief promised by the Government either. Plantation companies have also failed to consider their grievances despite fact that tea and rubber prices remain at a reasonable level.

In this situation, the Union has called upon the Minister to intervene and provide relief to this estate workers who number around 400,000 people in Sri Lanka.