President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called on the leaders of plantation companies to swiftly reach a collective agreement on the proposed wage increase for plantation workers, with a targeted minimum of Rs. 1700, as requested by the workers. Alternatively, he urged them to come to a consensus on the revised wage amount before the end of December.
This guidance was provided during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat where President Wickremesinghe engaged with the heads of plantation companies. The objective of the meeting was to explore how regional plantation companies could align their programs with the agricultural modernization initiative outlined in this year's budget.
The discussion also covered the program aimed at granting land rights to plantation workers. President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed his intention to establish committees for future work, proposing one committee to address the housing needs of plantation workers and another to represent the interests of both workers and plantation companies.
Stressing his confidence in an export-oriented economy for the country's economic development, President Wickremesinghe highlighted the collective contribution required to ensure the success of the agricultural modernization program. He emphasized the growing demand for food due to the increasing population of Asian countries and urged the country's export economy to prepare for this reality.
The event, attended by Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment Promotion Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of State for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, and numerous representatives from local plantation companies, also addressed various aspects of the proposed initiatives.
