EFC urges Govt. to abandon estate wage hike move

The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) in a statement has urged the Government to abandon the move to hike estate workers’ daily wage by 17% or Rs. 145 to Rs. 1,000 from March 2020 as proposed. 

Following is the full statement of EFC:

“It was deeply perturbing to read media reports on a proposed salary increase for estate workers. 

“At present, the Regional Plantation Companies and two signatory Unions, namely, the CWC and the LJEWU are covered and bound by a collective agreement entered into in terms of our law that decided on current wages and which will be effective at least till January 2021. 

“As such, if the proposed increase were to be mandated on the RPCs, it will be inconsistent with the legal provisions as well as the values of ‘core’ ILO Convention 98 on collective bargaining. 

“Financially it will have a disastrous impact not only on the RPCs but also on the smallholders and eventually lead to the collapse of the industry. 

“Therefore we urge the authorities to refrain from going ahead with such a proposal.”