Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament that wages for plantation workers must be increased alongside the general minimum wage hike.
While supporting the proposal to raise the national minimum monthly wage from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 27,000 in December and Rs. 30,000 in January, he criticized the government for failing to deliver its promise of a Rs. 1,700 daily wage for plantation workers—pledge No. 41 in its election manifesto.
Citing provisions from the Wages Boards Ordinance and the Allowances to Plantation Workers Act, Premadasa stressed the legal requirement to set fair wages in all sectors.
Premadasa pointed out that, under Section 20(1) of the Wages Boards Ordinance No. 27 of 1941, minimum wages must be determined for workers in any given industry. He also referenced Section 4 of the Allowances to Plantation Workers Act No. 72 of 1981, which mandates that wages for plantation workers be determined based on Wages Board decisions.
He highlighted the neglect faced by tea, rubber, coconut, and other plantation workers, and urged the government to act on amendments proposed by MPs Mano Ganesan, Radhakrishnan, and Digambaran. (Newswire)
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