Trade unions are flexing their muscles for another round of negotiations with the government and employers – this time over a minimum wage.
Union officials say there is a huge gap between the basic wage in the public sector (which is much higher) and the private sector and this anomaly needs to be addressed.
“We need a standard minimum wage for the country and we are urging the Government to provide a national minimum wage applicable all sectors instead of two different wage levels as cost of living affects everyone equally,” said T.M.R. Rasseedin - President Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL), adding that they hoped the Government will consider this proposal in the budget.
He said while a public sector employee gets a minimum wage of around Rs 11,730, in the private sector its around Rs 8,000.
There was a similar call in 2008 for a national minimum wage in which the Labour Ministry appointed a tripartite committee made up of employers, workers and the Ministry but that process failed.
|
E-mail
