TUs seek increase in minimum wage in private sector
View(s):Five trade unions are urging the Government to increase the minimum monthly wage in the private sector to Rs. 25,000 from a current Rs. 13,000 (which includes Rs. 3,500 budgetary allowance).
“We hope to make representations to the Government shortly,” said veteran unionist Palitha Atukorale, President, National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka.
He was speaking in response to a Finance Ministry announcement on Wednesday stating that basic salaries of state-sector employees will be increased between a range of Rs. 2500 – Rs. 10,000 from this month onwards. It said that accordingly, the basic salaries of lower-level public servants and high-ranking officials would be increased by Rs. 2500 and Rs. 10,000, respectively.
He said unions in the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) including the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka, Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union, Ceylon Workers Congress, Ceylon Estates Staffs Union and the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya had written a joint letter to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (during his recent, brief tenure), requesting approval on two matters.
They were; the removal of taxes on EPF withdrawals and increasing the wages of private sector employees.
Mr. Atukorala told the Business Times that on December 13, at 1pm, they had met the (then) Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge and made the request through a letter and also sought a meeting with PM Rajapaksa. “At 3 pm, Mr. Lokuge called me and said the PM had considered the issues raised and agreed to the request. However, the Supreme Court at 3.45 pm issued an order declaring that the President’s order in sacking the PM (Ranil Wickremesinghe) was unconstitutional, which made Mr. Rajapaksa’s order somewhat invalid,” he said.
He said they hope to meet the current Labour Minister and make a request to increase the minimum wage in the private sector.