President Wickremesinghe stated that seven plantation companies have agreed with the government's decision 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 formany years, will be paid starting 2025
President Wickremesinghe made theseremarks while attending the Kandy District
Plantation Labour Unions and Youth Leadersmeeting organized by the Ceylon Workers'
Congress yesterday at the KARALIYA Convention Centre,Kandy.
The issues faced by the Tamil community in the hill country were directly presented to the
President, and he responded positively to their concerns."
He further elaborated;
"Over the past two years, the people of Srilanka have faced severe hardships. However, we have managed to bring the economy to a more stable level. While the country's economic issues are not entirely resolved, we have provided significant relief to the people, easing their burdens compared to 2022."
"This progress was made possible due to the agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Also we have successfully negotiated with the countries that have lent us money, giving us until 2042 to repay our debts. If we abandon or attempt to amend these agreements, we will lose those benefits, and the country will revert to its previous state, facing issues like shortages and long queues. Therefore, we must decide whether to
continue with this program.
We cannot be complacent with the success achieved through the IMF. We should aim for economic
development similar to India's progress. By 2048, we have planned for rapid development. The people must also decide whether they want leaders who will guide the country forward or those who are more focused on personal pursuits."
"For many years, workers' welfare funds have not been disbursed to the working people. We plan to start paying these funds from next year, as the country's economy is recovering and the government is now in a position to provide this support.
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."
Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, Jeevan Thondaman;
"It has been a year since I assumed office as a cabinet minister, and I have done my best during this time. Over the past year, Rs.160 million has been allocated solely for estate infrastructure in the Kandy district. It is an unprecedented amount.
We also have plans to establish Thondaman Vocational Training Centers in Kandy and Badulla, with support from the Indian government. While the hill country has a population of about one million, only 115,000 are employed in the plantation sector.
Plantation workers are seeking a pay rise, and President Ranil Wickremesinghe has
implemented various programs to address the development of the hill country and the salary issue. The government is actively taking steps to increase the wages of plantation workers, and several estate companies have already agreed to wage hikes. A meeting will be held this coming Monday with the estate Companies, under the patronage of President Wickremesinghe, to further address this
matter.
