The extraordinary gazette notification for increasing the daily wages of estate sector employees up to Rs. 1,000 has been published by the Ministry of Labour.
The gazette notification, which is in effect from the 5th of March, says the decision adopted by the Wages Board for tea and rubber growing and manufacturing trade was approved by the Minister of Labour as per the provisions of the Wages Boards Ordinance (Chapter 136).
Accordingly, a minimum daily wage of Rs. 900 and a budgetary relief allowance of Rs. 100 have been announced by the gazette notification.
The estate sector employees were previously eligible for a daily wage/remuneration of Rs. 750 including a fixed price allowance of Rs. 50 and another allowance named over-kilo rate if the fixed weight of kilograms exceeds related to productivity.
In the budget proposals for the year 2021 presented to the Parliament, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa had suggested a daily wage of Rs. 1,000 for the estate sector.
Although several rounds of discussions were held with the parties who signed the “Estate employee salaries collective agreement 2019 – 2021, one party; Ceylon Employers’ Association representing the estate owners’ association who is one party of the collective agreement had proposed to escalate the daily wage up to Rs. 920.
The matter was subsequently referred to the Wages Board by Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.
When the Wages Board met on February 08, it was decided that plantation workers be given a minimum daily wage of Rs. 900 and a budgetary relief allowance of Rs. 100.
The decision was confirmed during the meeting of the Wages Board held again on the 1st of March.