Labour and Trade Union Relations Minister W.D.J. Senewiratne said that they are hopeful of reaching a consensus between the plantation companies and estate worker’s trade unions to sign a collective agreement on Tuesday (October 18) as all outstanding matters pertaining to the wage issue have been sorted out.
At a discussion with plantation companies and estate sector trade unions on Friday (October 14) both parties settled all the issues except for one.
However, the General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) MP Vadivel Suresh is said to have made a statement to the media that he would not accept Rs.730 daily wage to estate workers and as such he will not sign the agreement until a daily wage of Rs.1,000 is granted.
This statement apparently runs counter to what he had pledged at an earlier discussion at the Plantation Ministry where he too agreed to accept Rs.730, Minister Senewiratne told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
The Minister said the LJEWU is also a party to the collective agreement. Therefore, it is obligatory on the part of the LJEWU General Secretary to sign the collective agreement. When we met on Friday (October 14), apart from the statement that LJEWU General Secretary had made to the media, there was no way of clarifying his position since he had left for the UK. He is due to return to the island tomorrow (October 17). Therefore, another discussion will be held on Tuesday at 2.00 p.m. to sign the collective agreement.
Minister Senewiratne said following Vadivel Suresh’s statement, the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) General Secretary MP Arumugan Thondaman also refused to sign the collective agreement. He said if he signs the agreement, Vadivel Suresh might go to town and attempt to achieve personal popularity.
CWC President MP Muthu Sivalingam told the Sunday Observer that at Friday’s discussion, all the parties agreed to the Rs. 730 wage increase.
However, 300 days work should be offered to the workers as stated in the original collective agreement.
“The plantation companies wanted to have a relaxation on that but we didn’t agree ot it. Then they said that they would finalise it and also speak to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and have another discussion on Tuesday (October 18). All other matters have, however, been settled peacefully. We only have to sort out the six days of work at the discussion on Tuesday,” he said.
MP Sivalingam said the collective agreement should be signed by all three parties - CWC, LJEWU and the Employers Federation. However, the CWC will not sign the agreement in the absence of LJEWU General Secretary Vadivel Suresh.