Act to compel private sector employers to grant pay hike

An Act will be passed in Parliament making it compulsory to pay an additional Rs. 2,500 per month to all private sector employees, in two phases, Government Information Department said. According to Labour Minister S.B. Nawinna, all private sector employers should pay Rs. 1,500 to employees who do not get a monthly salary of over Rs. 40,000 while they should pay another Rs. 1,000 to them in January next year. All private sector employees’ minimum salary should be Rs. 10,000. Most employers have already done this. Legal action will be taken against private sector employers who do not act accordingly, he said. “Arrangements are being made to pay a pension of Rs. 6,000 to all July strikers above the age of 63 and their dependents (wife or husband) if the ‘July Striker’ is dead. A monthly payment of Rs. 5,000 is paid to July Strikers who are above 65. Their dependents do not get this payment at present. A list of 1,700 July strikers are with the Labour Ministry and the Labour Department,” he added.