The strike launched by tea estate workers demanding the plantation companies to increase their basic daily wage up to Rs. 1000 continued for the seventh day today throughout the estate sector.
Other trade unions have also decided to support from today (10th) the trade union action launched by the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) in the estate sector. The leaders of the trade unions have decided to join the CWC to demand the plantation companies to increase the daily wage.
In parallel with the strike, estate workers stood in front of the tea factories and burned tires to protest against plantation companies.
Estate workers launched an indefinite strike on 4th December demanding the plantation companies to increase the basic salary of plantation workers up to Rs 1000 per day.
Plantation companies during discussions held with the estate workers’ unions have proposed to increase the current basic daily wage of Rs. 530 to Rs. 600, and increase other allowances to pay up to Rs. 1012 per day. The proposal has been rejected by the joint estate trade unions saying they are not prepared to agree to a basic daily wage below Rs. 1,000.
Leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress and Nuwara Eliya District MP Arumugam Thondaman yesterday at a media briefing held at CWC headquarters in Kotagala said that he will meet President Maithripala Sirisena and request him to intervene to increase the basic daily salary of a plantation worker to Rs.1000.
Thondaman said that trade union action would be continued until the plantation companies give into the demand.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
