SL TUs to announce token strike tomorrow

Sri Lankan trade union (TU) leaders spearheading the private sector workers’ rights to the proposed budgetary salary hike of Rs.2500 will tomorrow announce the date of their planned token strike. The TUs have said that they want the government to bring in legislation to increase private sector wages since most organisations were not providing the hike since it was proposed at the interim budget presented in Parliament on January 29. The latest move came following a meeting with the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) chaired by newly appointed State Minister of Labour S.B. Navinna on Monday, trade union leader Anton Marcus said. During the meeting the Employer’s Federation of Ceylon had opposed any new legislation to increase private sector workers asking to bring it in through the Wages Board. However, the trade unions opposed this move pointing out that this only increased the minimum wage and had no impact on private sector workers’ salaries. As a result the minister said he would come back to them following consultations with the Prime Minister-appointed Committee that was scheduled to meet last Tuesday. In the past, similar legislation was enforced to put effect into the private sector wage hike through the Budgetary Relief Allowance Act in 1977 and in 2005. (SD)