News

Government asserts plantation wage hike will go ahead

05 Mar, 2020

The Government today asserted that the plantation wage hike will go ahead.

Minister of Plantations and Export Agriculture, Ramesh Pathirana told reporters at the post cabinet press conference today that the Government is confident the wage hike will be implemented from this month.

He noted that the wage for this month will be paid during the first week of April.

The Minister said that discussions are still ongoing to reach an agreement on the proposed Rs. 1000 daily wage for plantation workers and a fresh agreement is likely to be signed soon.

The plantation companies have proposed a productivity based wage model as a solution, which they say has proven to be successful.

They have also sought some government assistance in order to pay the?Rs.?1000?daily wage and ensure the industry does not collapse as a result.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had proposed that the daily wage of plantation workers be increased to Rs. 1000 by 1st March.

Plantation companies have informed the government that an unfair push to pay?Rs.?1000?to plantation workers could have a serious impact on the local industry.?(Colombo Gazette)

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Minister notes OHCHR report not legally binding

The Government today noted that the report on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is not legally binding and so will not have any adverse impact on the country. Government Minister and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka said that in the past similar reports had been released and Sri Lanka has often responded by issuing its own report. He recalled that as a response to the Darusman Report, the Government under former President Mahind

24 Sep, 2015

Feature Image

Sri Lankan nationals among 10 held in Kochi

Sri Lankan refugees are among the 10 people detained by police from a homestay at Cherai in Kochi, India. Munambam police conducted raids at the homestay on Wednesday night following a tip-off from intelligence agencies. It is suspected that the detainees arrived in Munambam as part of human trafficking racket. Some of them are from Tamil Nadu,?Manorama news reported The police conducted raid after signals from the mobile phones of some inmates of a camp for Sri Lankan refugees were received

24 Sep, 2015

Feature Image

Government assures Northern public equal rights

The Government today?said that the people in the North will be given equal rights similar to what people in the South enjoy. Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that the policy of the Government is to protect the rights of all communities. He said that Prime Minister and United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has always maintained that policy but that worked against him in 2005. The Education Minister said that in 2005 certain extremist groups had prevented the pe

24 Sep, 2015