Trade Union Alliance calls for salary increases

For the second consecutive year, trade unions yesterday urged the Government to increase salaries of public sector employees by at least Rs.10,000 and the salaries of private sector employees by at least Rs.5,000.

These are among the 21 proposals submitted by trade unions to be included in the 2014 Budget.

The Co-ordination Committee of the Trade Union Alliance, which comprises 17 of the largest trade unions in the country, said the Government had continued to ignore the glaring disparity between the escalating cost of living and the stagnant incomes. “This needs to be addressed immediately,” the Alliance said.

“The Government may win elections, but if it fails to address the vital issue of salaries in the upcoming budget then it has not fulfilled its duty to respond to the people’s biggest need and it would have failed the economy as well,” Jathika Seva-

The Govt. has ignored the glaring disparity between the escalating cost of living and the stagnant incomes

ka Sangama Convener Sunil De Silva said.

He said wages should ideally be increased by Rs.20,000 but keeping in mind the economic downturn in the country, trade unions had opted to stick to last year’s demands.

Mr. De Silva said the trade union alliance had written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is also the Finance Minister requesting him to present a bill to induce the private sector to increase wages. The trade union alliance also urged the President to ensure that the Cost of Living Index which stood at 280 points be gazetted without further delay.

The list of proposals includes the safeguarding of the Employees Provident Fund, Pension Schemes such as the Farmers Pension Scheme.