The Minister of Labor Nimal Siripala de Silva has decided to give a last week to estate employers 12-31 to make the final decision to increase the minimum daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1000 as per the 2021 budget proposals.
Accordingly, the committee was to reconvene on the 31st, but the Chairman of the Agarapathana Pradeshiya Sabha, Kadir Selvam, has been quarantined by four estate leaders, including Minister of State Jeevan Thondaman, who worked with him on the corona virus outbreak. Requested for a week. The final decision was postponed to the 7th due to a request from the estate employers for a few more days.
During a discussion held at the Ministry of Labor yesterday (7) on the government’s budget proposal to provide a minimum daily wage of 1,000 rupees to plantation workers, it was not possible to reach an agreement between the plantation company managers, employers and plantation trade union leaders. As such, Labor Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has stated that he will submit alternative proposals to the Cabinet on Monday.
The decision of the government to provide a minimum daily wage of Rs. 1000 to the people in the plantation areas will not be changed and both parties were given ample opportunity to negotiate and reach a lasting solution, but it failed to reach a final solution and the estate workers should be treated fairly. An alternative proposal to increase the minimum daily wage to Rs. 1,000 will be submitted to the Cabinet next Monday, the Minister said. After that, the salaries will be increased soon, the Minister said.