Plantation workers union appeals for wage increase

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 00:08 GMT]
S.Sathasivam, the Secretary General of Ceylon Workers United Front said on Wednesday that he had forwarded an appeal to the Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to intervene regarding the demand by plantation workers to increase their wages, sources in Nuwara Eliya said.

Adding that the workers in all other sectors in the country receive 400 rupees as their daily wages, the plantation workers should be paid at least 300 rupees, Mr.Sathasivam said.

Quoting government sources he said that production of Tea has gone up by nine percent, the price of tea has risen by eleven percent in the World Market and yet more than 15000 estate workers have lost their jobs.

Meanwhile, a number of protest rallies have been planned including a rally to be held Wednesday in the Town of Poonduloya followed by another rally Thursday in Elibada estate, Bogawantalawa.



Another human chain protest has been scheduled to be held on Sunday in Senon Estate in Hatton followed by a protest rally in Hatton Town on Monday plantation sources said.

Workers in Hatton, Dickoya and Bogantallawa continue to express their protest wearing black wrist bands, sources said.



Meanwhile, Sarath Fernando, head of Bogantalawa Estate Authority, opened rest rooms constructed by International aid organization CARE in Bogawana and Linsted estates. Rest rooms provide workers a convenient place to have their meals and attend to their personal needs.