Revised wage proposal to remunerate estate workers

COLOMBO (News 1st): Regional Plantation Companies have submitted a revised wage proposal to remunerate estate workers up to Rs. 1108 a day.  The revised proposal was a result of a settlement, negotiated with the assent of the Minister. However, trade unions are still to agree. This resolution will ensure that workers will earn in excess of the Rs. 1,000 demand, and will finally be rewarded for increased productivity. The Rs. 1108 daily wage is achieved in the following manner: Basic Wage – Rs. 725, Price Share Supplement – Rs. 50, EPF/ETF – Rs. 108 and an Attendance and Productivity Incentive of Rs. 225, which has been reintroduced. A fixed daily wage model will be applicable for 3 days a week. On the rest of the days, employees will be remunerated based on one of two productivity-linked earning models – one where employees will earn Rs. 50 for every kilo of tea leaf plucked. The other being the revenue share model, where employees can become entrepreneurs.