Govt. to intervene in estate worker wage hike

The government is likely to intervene in the discussions between the estate worker unions and the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) on a new collective agreement for a wage hike.

The best the RPCs could afford is an all inclusive Rs.940 for its workers but unions representing the labour workforce have asked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to intervene.

CWC spokesman Arul Sami told the Business Times that during the meeting with the RPCs on Monday the CWC leader A. Thondaman had called the Prime Minister and advisor R. Paskaralingam to intervene in the wage hike discussions as they were not in agreement with an all-inclusive increase upto Rs.940.

Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Roshan Rajadurai speaking with the Business Times said that they had offered the unions a wage hike of Rs.940 all- inclusive with a basic wage increase of 20 per cent.

But he noted the unions were not interested in discussing it and had simply walked off saying it was not sufficient.

The RPCs had offered two proposals i.e. an increase upto Rs.940 and another proposal to pay from the first kilo onwards after the norm Rs.46 upto 22 kg that would ensure they obtain Rs.1000. However, both these proposals were rejected.

Mr. Sami said that based on past experience workers were certain they would not be able to earn this Rs.1000 as they would not be able to meet the requirements for attendance and productivity incentives.

The collective agreement period has lapsed and workers have been campaigning on the estates for a Rs.1000 wage hike insisting that the high cost of living was taking a toll on them.