Rs 700 daily wage for estate workers

by Staff Writer 28-01-2019 | 10:30 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st): The joint agreement on estate sector wages was signed at temple trees today (January 28). The agreement states that the estate workers' daily wage increases to Rs. 700. The previous agreement which determines the Estate Workers' salary expired in October 2018. Even though there were several negotiations between the relevant trade unions and plantation owners to form a new agreement, there was no final agreement on the matter. Thereby the estate workers and several other groups staged several demonstrations, demanding their daily wage to be increased to Rs. 1000. Later, there was an agreement to increase the basic daily wage to Rs.700 rupees following a discussion held between trade unions and estate owners. However, the estate workers did not agree to the amount. Despite the protests, two trade unions and the planters' association signed the agreement at temple trees today for a Rs. 700 daily wage. Those present at the event included;

Ravindra Samaraweera - Non-Cabinet Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations
Arumugan Thondaman - Leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress
Vadivel Suresh - General Secretary of the Ceylon National Estate Labourers Union
Several members of the planters' association

However, the estate trade union alliance did not sign the agreement. According to the new agreement;