Sri Lanka: Plantation Workers Get Wage Hike
Plantation workers in Sri Lanka signed the deal offered by the government increasing their daily wages from Rs.500 to Rs.700. The plantation authorities confirmed the months’ long deadlock between plantation workers and estate authorities has thus ended.
Plantation Industries Minister Naveen Dissanayake said they signed the collective agreement concerning the plantation workers’ wage issue.
The agreement was signed between Plantation Trade Unions Minister Dissanayake and Labour and Trade Union Relations Minister Ravindra Samaraweera.
It was also agreed to pay a pending three months’ arrears to the workers in accordance with a decision taken by Minister Naveen Dissanayake. Dissanayake has pledged to impart Rs.100 million from the Sri Lanka Tea Board to the Regional Plantation Companies to meet the due payments, Plantation Industry Ministry Secretary J.A.Ranjith said.
The wage hike also has several other incentives including an additional Rs. 50 under the Price Share Supplement (PSS), Plantation Trade Union sources said.