Saturday, 06 April 2013

CWC and UNP led LJEWU have signed the collective agreement with the planters association in a very secret and haste manner within four days after the former agreement expired. Generally negotiations are conducted over the period of five to six months to evaluate the expectations and the possibilities of the workers and employers. This allows constructive inputs to be forwarded at the negotiations. Nowhere in the world plantation sector collective agreements are in signed in such a clandestine manner.

But government ally CWC minister Thondaman and UNP’s LJEW secretary Velayutham have taken very hurried and haste steps to complete the agreement. It has raised many eye brows and questions in plantations.

The agreement has increased basic wage from Rs. 380 to Rs. 450. The daily attendance allowance is fixed at Rs. 140. Our studies have revealed the fact only less than 20 percent of the work force receive this allowance. Therefore the wage increase is only 18%. Rs 450 is going to be the basic daily wage until March 2015. This agreement has been made in the interests of privates agenda holders and not in the favoring the working class. CWC and UNP led LJEW have together betrayed the plantation workers said Mano Ganesan, president of the plantation trade union federation (PTUF). Ganesan said further that, representatives the fifteen plantation unions which are coming under the (PTUF) are meeting in Hatton on Sunday to plan the next step and strategy.

Over fifteen plantation trade unions including the unions led by Mano Ganesan, Digambaram MP, Radhakrishnan MP, Praba Ganesan MP, Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Vickramabahu Karunarathna, Sirithunga Jayasooriya, Ashraff Aziz coming within PTUF.