Estate workers demand fresh pay hike
By Aisha Edris
Tea and rubber estate workers led by the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) have demanded a Rs. 30 daily wage increase from the government and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC).
CWC MP Muthu Sivalingam told The Bottom Line that during a meeting with the Employer’s Federation held recently, the ECF had refused to accommodate the workers’ request.
“They told us if they agreed to our request then they would have to close down their companies. They said it was difficult for them to survive the increasing cost of operation that they had to face and so, such a request could not be accommodated by them. However, we will be meeting them again shortly to pursue the matter,” Sivalingam said.
He warned that taking into consideration the burning problems faced by the masses such as the skyrocketing cost of living, and owing to the poor salaries workers in the tea and rubber estate receive, in times to come the workers would leave these fields and search for options with better pay.
“Workers in the tea and rubber estates are only paid Rs. 180 per day, which is not sufficient for them to live when the prices of commodities are skyrocketing. Their situation is so bad that the workers and their families have to only eat rotties and drink tea to survive. They find it difficult to buy basic necessities such as kerosene with the insignificant wage they receive,” the MP pointed out.
He also noted that in case their second round of discussion was not successful, then they would approach Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne in a bid to find an amicable solution.
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