During a press conference at the Presidential Media Centre, Vadivel Suresh, General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers’ Union, emphasized the joint responsibility of the Government and the Plantation Employers’ Association in providing wage increases to plantation workers. Suresh highlighted the vital role played by these workers in upholding the esteemed reputation of ‘Ceylon Tea’ and their significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s national economy. He called for the implementation of the salary increase outlined in the gazette notice issued by the Labour Commissioner General for plantation workers, citing the benefits reaped by plantation companies from the fluctuating dollar value.
Expressing gratitude to the President and the government for raising the salary of plantation workers to LKR 1,700, MP Vadivel Suresh criticized the Plantation Employers’ Association for contesting this decision. He underscored the importance of upholding government decisions and urged estate companies to fulfill their obligations to their workforce amidst fluctuations in the dollar’s value. Suresh emphasized the extensive negotiations that led to the wage increase, involving the Department of Labour, trade unions, and relevant stakeholders, and urged plantation workers and trade unions to unite in support of this wage increase.
Suresh highlighted the reluctance of employers’ unions to engage in wage-fixing negotiations and their failure to support previous requests for a salary increase. Despite the lawful issuance of a gazette notice for a salary hike of LKR 1,700 by the Labour Commissioner General, estate companies have procrastinated in providing relief to their workforce. Suresh called for unity among plantation workers and trade unions to press for the implementation of the wage increase and stressed the joint responsibility of the Government and the Plantation Employers’ Association in ensuring fair compensation for plantation workers.