President warns of new laws to enforce Rs. 1,700 daily wage

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned he is prepared to enact new laws, if necessary, to enforce the Rs. 1,700 daily wage for plantation workers.

Wickremesinghe said that seven plantation companies have agreed to provide a daily salary of Rs.1, 700 to plantation workers.

?As the current labour minister, I have planned to convene the Wages Board on Monday to further discuss the matter. If necessary, special laws will be introduced to implement this decision,? he added.

The President also announced that, workers’ welfare funds, which have been neglected for many years, will be paid commencing next year.

President Wickremesinghe made these remarks while attending the Kandy District Plantation Labour Unions and Youth Leaders meeting organized by the Ceylon Workers’ Congress, Saturday, at the KARALIYA Convention Centre And Center For Performing Arts, Kandy.

The issues faced by the Tamil community in the hill country were directly presented to the President at the meeting.

“In recent years, the people working in the plantation sector have endured significant hardships. While other workers have received salary increases and farmers have been provided with better income, relief has not yet reached the plantation workers,” the President said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, Jeevan Thondaman said that the Government is actively taking steps to increase the wages of plantation workers, and several estate companies have already agreed to wage hikes.

He said a meeting will be held on Monday with the estate companies, under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, to further address the issue. (Colombo Gazette)