• Demands Rs. 20,000 salary hike from 2024 Budget 

The National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) said that all trade unions affiliated with it are to launch a protest on 13 November in front of Parliament, demanding a salary increment of Rs. 20,000 for all public servants from the oncoming Budget for next year (2024).

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday (9), NTUC National Organiser Wasantha Samarasinghe said that the Government must make an announcement about the exact salary increment rates before the next Budget is presented to Parliament, as otherwise they would launch a massive protest on the Budget date, demanding the increment. 

Samarasinghe also said that the Government is making efforts to mislead public servants, claiming that a salary increment has been included in the next Budget. He said that these efforts cannot mislead public servants who have been struggling with many hardships. He stated that the salaries of public servants have not been increased recently in parallel with the country’s inflation, which rises day by day.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same press conference, United Grama Niladharis’ Union President Kamal Kithsiri said that public servants have become helpless with the rapidly increasing living cost as they cannot feed their children as they wish. 

Against this backdrop, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said recently that an “extensive analysis” is currently being carried out to decide the rates at which salaries will be raised. He said that President and Minister of Finance and Economic Stabilisation Ranil Wickremesinghe had clearly stated that steps would be taken to raise public servants' salaries. Accordingly, he said that a salary increase would definitely take place but that an “extensive analysis” to determine the relevant rates is currently underway.

The Cabinet of Ministers had recently approved a draft Appropriation Bill for 2024 presented by President Wickremesinghe. Presenting the Appropriation Bill, which sets out the expenditure plans for each Ministry, is the first stage of presenting a Budget for 2024. Wickremesinghe recently assured a salary increase for public servants.  

With the Budget for 2024 scheduled to be presented to Parliament on 13 November, both public and private sector employees are urging the Government to raise their salaries by at least Rs. 20,000, considering the current economic situation. Many professional groups are even organising protests to demand the same.