Trade union holds district level seminars to demand a Rs. 10,000 pay hike

National Trade Union Centre (NTUC), a trade union affiliated to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday commenced a series of seminars at district level to create awareness among the people of the struggle to win a Rs. 10,000 salary hike for public sector workers and a 40 percent pay increase for the private sector workers.

The first seminar was to be held last evening at the Public Library Auditorium under the patronage of JVP politburo member K.D. Lalkantha.

The next seminar is to be held in Kurunegala today (29th).

The NTUC has been agitating for a pay hike for the public and private sectors and has vowed to resort to trade union action in the event the government fails to address the demands.

NTUC Convener, Samantha Koralearachchi said the unions hoped the government would take steps to increase the salaries in the 2012 budget.

Meanwhile, yesterday’s seminar was the first public meeting to be organised by a Marxist JVP affiliated organisation since the split in the party.