FSP blasts govt’s failure to deliver on its promise to increase daily wage of estate workers to Rs 1000

By Anuradha Hiripitiyage

The government’s promise to increase the daily wage of the plantation workers to Rs. 1,000 would not be fulfilled, Propaganda Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Duminda Nagamuwa told The Island yesterday.

Nagamuwa said that in 2020 the government had issued four gazettes announcing price controls, which were ignored by large scale rice mill owners.

“This is also not the first time that the government has undertaken to increase the daily wages of estate workers. Last year also the Cabinet approved a proposal to increase daily wages but plantation companies objected, and the government backtracked.”

Nagamuwa recalled that the government had promised to increase wages by 31 March 2020 and again on 01 January 2021.

“Again the Cabinet has approved to increase wages. The government must firmly order plantation management companies to increase wages. Otherwise, they will claim to be making losses through creative accounting. We also insist that Rs. 1,000 should be the basic daily wage.”

Nawagamuwa said that the collective agreement between unions and the companies was to be signed on 28 January but the wage increase was not in that agreement.