Signature campaign demands higher plantation wages

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 October 2004, 09:33 GMT]
Kandy based Human Development Organisation (HDO) launched a signature campaign targeting to obtain 100,000 signatures to pressure the the Sri Lanka Government and Private plantation companies to grant wage increase to the Plantation sector workers, civil sources said.

The campaign was inaugurated by HDO leader P.P Sivapragasam and is being carried out through the network of Citizens’ Surveillence Committees, the Consortium for Plantation Workers Wage Increase and other local organizations.

Co-ordinators of the constituent organizations, Mrs.P Yogesway, Mr. P Sri Kanth, Mr. R. Nadarajah, and Mr. R.Raviram are directing campaign.

The campaign covers several areas of Plantation Sector including,

• Kandy to Nuwara Eliya,
• Kotagala, Hatton, Maskeliya, Bogawantalawa,
• Kegalle, Yatiyantota, Deraniyagala,
• Ratnapura, Galle and
• Badulla, Bandarawela.

The campaign is also being conducted in the North East.

Community meetings are held in every Estate and main townships to explain the objective of the campaign. Issues affecting the plantation sector families, poverty, malnutrition, and human right violations are among the topics discussed with the workers.

HDO works among the tea pluckers in Kandy who are primarily Tamils. HDO educates the masses about their rights and provides legal aid and consulting, and orgnises labour unions. HDO also focuses on children's education.