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Labour Department to help resolve plantation workers’ problems 

10 Mar 2022

  • Upon conclusion of RPCs’ case against Rs. 1,000 minimum daily wage 
BY Pamodi Waravita  Labour Commissioner General and Attorney Prabath Chandrakeerthi has informed the Ceylon Workers’ Red Flag Union that the Labour Department will intervene to solve the problems of plantation workers after the court proceedings regarding the Wages Board decision that mandated a Rs. 1,000 minimum daily wage are concluded.  The Union held a two-day protest in front of the Labour Ministry this week, demanding that the ministry intervene to pressurise the regional plantation companies (RPCs) to bring back the collective agreements, which protect the labour rights of the plantation workers. On Tuesday (8) evening, Chandrakeerthi had informed, in writing, to the Union, that since the Wages Board’s decision was challenged in court by the RPCs, where the petitioners have also included points about the collective agreements, the Department cannot intervene at the moment to resolve the issues faced by the workers. However, Chandrakeerthi has promised that once the court proceedings are over, the Department will intervene accordingly.  The ministry convened a Wages Board in early 2021, which decided that plantation companies must pay Rs. 1,000 as a minimum daily wage to the estate workers. However, this decision has since been challenged in court by the RPCs and is due to be heard in April 2022. The RPCs also left the collective agreements following the Wages Board’s decision last year.  Speaking to The Morning yesterday (9), the Union’s Adviser Menaha Kandasamy said that the Union has decided to temporarily suspend the protest following Chandrakeerthi’s promise to them.  “We will, however, reconvene in April, if we don’t see a proper response by then,” she added.  The Union had held protests in front of the district offices of the Department since last month. As they had received no satisfactory response to their demands, they held a protest in front of the ministry in Colombo, at the beginning of this week.


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