Under the 2025 Budget presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, it was proposed to raise plantation workers’ daily wages to Rs. 1,700, alongside salary increases in the public and private sectors.
Further, through the 2026 Budget, the President proposed to increase the basic daily wage of plantation workers by Rs. 200, from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,550, and to provide an additional Rs. 200 as an attendance allowance paid by the government. A sum of Rs. 5,000 million has been allocated for this purpose through the Budget.
As a result, plantation workers’ wages will increase by a total of Rs. 400, marking the highest wage increase received by the plantation worker community during the 200 years since they arrived in Sri Lanka.
The formal agreement signing between the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the Ministry of Labour, and Regional Plantation Companies is scheduled to take place at 9.00 a.m. today at the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure.
Prior to this, extensive discussions were held with Regional Plantation Companies under the leadership of Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyarathna, Deputy Minister Sundaralingam Pradeep, Minister of Labour Professor Anil Jayantha, and Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayaratne, focusing on the implementation of the proposed wage increase.
