The employers who fail to pay the daily wage of Rs.1,000 to plantation workers are liable to face legal action, Labour Department Commissioner General Prabath Chandrakeerthi said.
He said an extraordinary gazette notification in this regard was published on March 10 after the wage structure was approved by the subject Minister.
Legal action will be taken in accordance with Wages Board Act, he said.
Accordingly, employers could face a hefty fine or up to six months in prison or both, the Commissioner General said.
The plantation workers’ daily wage of Rs.1,000 which includes a payment of Rs. 900 and a budgetary allowance of Rs. 100 per day was approved by the Wages Board at the meeting held on February 8, he added.
The daily wage increment was received by the plantation workers following two years of dragging discussions between Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) and trade unions.
Commissioner General Chandrakeerthi called for a vote and the salary increase had received 11 votes in favour of the Wages Board members with nine against.
The daily wages increment of the plantation workers was delayed due to the trade unions (TUs) and the owners of the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) failing to reach an agreement on the wages model that was proposed by the RPCs in January.
Courtesy: Daily Mirror
