Estate strike goes on amidst huge losses

By Nalaka Nonis

The three-week long strike by plantation workers demanding higher wages is to continue after Upcountry People’s Front (UPF) led by Cabinet minister Periyasamy Chandrasekaran rejected government’s new wage formula.

With the country reportedly losing upto Rs. 2000 million rupees because of the strike, the UPF, which is spearheading the agitation on Friday boycotted a meeting with Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne and UPF parliamentarian P. Radhakrishnan said the party could not accept the solution of raising the daily wage to Rs. 250 including allowances.

In terms of the government proposal, the daily wage was to be increased from Rs. 135 to Rs. 165 plus an allowance of Rs. 85 which includes an attendance allowance of Rs. 60.

Besides the huge losses, the estate strike has also brought a direct clash between the two main estate workers parties, the CWC and the UPF, over a membership drive.

CWC spokesman Mutthu Sivalingam said it was the UPF which had initiated the strike and therefore the CWC was not playing any major role in the negotiations.

Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre general secretary O. Ramaiah said that accepting the Rs. 250 offer would be a betrayal of the hardpressed estate workers as the same offer had been made even before the strike was launched.

The workers are now demanding an all-inclusive daily wage of Rs. 300.