The first round of discussions to decide on the pay hike of estate workers was held last Monday with the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) led by the UNP, the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), the Joint Plantation Trade Union and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon participating.
During these discussions, most of the trade unions while demanding an increase in the basic wage had suggested that the plantation companies ignore the productivity incentive in calculating the total monthly salary of a worker.
UNP led Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) General Secretary K.Velayutham said the estate workers were having problems particularly on Sundays. Rs.607.50 was expected to be paid on Sundays, but this was rarely paid with the minimum quantity of tea leaf to be plucked being increased by 5kg. So we requested the Employers’ Federation and the plantation companies to look into this issue when deciding on the pay hike, he said.
He also said his union was requesting an increase in the basic wage, since Rs.285 was decided as the basic wage two years ago in the collective agreement.
The Joint Plantation Trade Union president S. Ramanathan said the plantation workers had issues with the productivity incentive that was to be paid with the workers’ salaries in 2009. “If the workers don’t achieve their target, they are not eligible to receive the productivity incentive. Most workers are unable to achieve the target,” he said.
As set out in the collective agreement, the companies have to decide on the minimum target in consultation with the estate committee leader and the women’s committee leader, but sometimes the minimum target is increased without the agreement of both these leaders, he revealed.
“There were instances when the minimum target was increased on Sundays compared to the quantity of tea leaf to be plucked on Saturdays, with the result the estate workers had issues with these increases,” he added. Some of the estate workers are calling for a Rs. 600 basic wage increase and the Joint Plantation Trade Union had presented this to the companies at the discussions, he said.
Mr. Ramanathan said his union was proposing a basic salary increase and requesting the plantation companies to ignore the productivity incentive in calculating the total salary of a worker.
Ceylon Workers Congress Senior Vice President Hari Chandrasekar said preliminary discussions were held on the estate workers’ pay hike.
Meanwhile Employer’s Federation Director General Ravi Peiris said the meeting regarding the estate workers’ pay hike was confidential and therefore he declined to comment on it.
The next round of discussions to decide on the pay hike of estate workers will be held on April 29. |
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