President informed of closure of 50 privatised tea, rubber factories

Saturday, 24 December 2011 01:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Ceylon Estate Services Association has in writing informed President Mahinda Rajapaksa that over 50 tea and rubber factories that were privatised in the last 18 years have been shut down.

The letter signed by the President of the Association Dhammika Jayawardena and Secretary Nath Amarasinghe has explained the issues faced by the estate administration. The letter has noted that among the problems faced by the estate staff are the salary anomalies, lack of lodging facilities within estates, non-payment of monies due to the employees by the state, failure to renovate housing of staff in the estates and the lack of a proper agriculture policy for the estate sector.

Jayawardena has said that problems faced by the estate sector have not yet been resolved although the estate owners have held several rounds of discussion with the President.

He has stated that a proper analysis had to be done on the estate sector for the past 18 years when estates were privatised.

According to the Association, the plantation sector has reached a point of deterioration and needs to be addressed soon.