Estate sector trade unions ask for a monthly salary for workers

Estate sector trade unions have made a request from the Labour Minister to make necessary arrangements to set up a monthly salary scheme for estate sector workers.

All Ceylon Estate Workers' Union (ACEWU) President Ramalingam Chandrasekhar and a group of representatives from the unions had discussed the issue during a meeting with the Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge at the Labour Secretariat. Assistant Secretary of the ACEWU, K. Selvaraja said the Minister was informed of the difficulties faced by the estate sector workers due to the lack of a monthly salary scheme and the benefits of having such a monthly wage.

He said the trade unions had pointed out that workers in the public, private and semi government sectors had monthly wage scheme that should be introduced to the estate sector workers as well. According to Selvaraja, the Minister had agreed to the proposal put forward by the trade union and said it would be forwarded to the Labour Advisory Council for deliberation and decision.