It was proposed to increase the daily minimum wage of plantation workers to Rs. 1000 in accordance with the 2021 budget proposal. Before that, there were several occasions to increase their daily wage to Rs. 1,000, but it did not happen. One of the election promises made by this government when it came to power was to increase these salaries.
However, plantation workers have been demanding higher wages since January, and plantation employers are now imposing a number of conditions. They say that some estate owners say that they can pay this amount if they proovide 2 kilos more than the current tea leaves. They have also made it mandatory to work 180 days.
In this regard, the President of the Low Country Plantation Workers’ Union Ruwan Gallage says that this is the first time that a plantation worker’s salary has been increased in a budget and no conditions have been imposed. The plantation employers are imposing these conditions not to increase the wages of plantation workers to Rs.1000. He says that no one can impose conditions on a salary increase in a budget, but that the increased salary is necessary and if it is not given in January, trade union action will be taken in return.