Nine TUs demand pay hike

By Ananda Kannangara

Nine trade unions, led by the powerful Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS) on Friday demanded a Rs. 2,500 salary hike or 25 per cent increase from private sector employers for its four-million labour force.

The trade unions also set April 8 as the deadline failing which they would resort to trade union action. Addressing a media briefing in Colombo SLNSS General Secretary Lesley Devendra said the private sector generally provides a remarkable contribution to the Government's coffers and it was not ethical to ignore the plight of the private sector employees.

"Therefore it is the duty of the Government to intervene in this matter and provide relief, considering the present COL in the country," he said.

D.W. Subasinghe of the Ceylon Trade Union Federation said the minimum salary of public sector workers including those who passed grade eight was increased to Rs. 11,730 and it is pathetic that a large number of workers in the private sector who passed the GCE (AL) examination were still drawing a basic salary of Rs. 4,500 a month. "Therefore we also demand the employers to increase their basic salary to Rs. 5,000 a month," he said.