According to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, seven plantation companies support the government’s decision to pay plantation workers Rs. 1,700 per day.I have scheduled a meeting of the Wages Board for this coming Monday in my capacity as the labour minister. To carry out this decision, special laws will be introduced if needed, he continued.The President further declared that beginning in the following year, workers’ welfare funds—which have been disregarded for a long time—will be disbursed.
At yesterday’s (10) Kandy District Plantation Labour Unions and Youth Leaders meeting, which was hosted by the Ceylon Workers’ Congress at the KARALIYA Convention Centre and Centre for Performing Arts, President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these statements.The President was personally informed of the problems the Tamil community in the hill country was facing, and he gave them encouraging feedback.
The President went on to clarify;
The people of this country have endured great hardships over the last two years. Nevertheless, we have succeeded in stabilising the economy. Even though the nation’s economic problems are not totally solved, we have significantly reduced people’s burdens in comparison to 2022.The agreement with the International Monetary Fund allowed for this progress. Furthermore, we have reached agreements with the nations that have lent us money, allowing us to repay our debts until 2042. These benefits are forfeited if we back out of these agreements or try to change them, and the nation will be back to square one with shortages and long lines.
Despite the success attained through the International Monetary Fund, we cannot become complacent. Our goal should be to achieve economic growth akin to that of India. We have planned for rapid development by 2048. The people must also determine if they prefer leaders who will steer the nation in the right direction or those who are more preoccupied with their own goals.
Workers’ welfare funds have not been distributed to working people for a long time. The government is now able to offer this support because the country’s economy is recovering, and we intend to begin paying these funds in the coming year.People who work in the plantation industry have faced many challenges in recent years. The plantation workers have not yet experienced relief, even though other workers have seen salary increases and farmers have benefited from higher incomes.
The government’s decision to give plantation workers a daily salary of Rs. 1,700 has been approved by seven plantation companies.After Minister Manusha Nanayakkara handed over responsibility, I, as President, am ready to talk with the Wages Board about the issue on Monday. If extra legislation is required to carry out this decision, we will also take that into consideration. It is my opinion that Minister Jeevan Thondaman and The adoption of these laws will have the support of MP P. Digambaran.
