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Huge wage disparity between public and private
sectors:
Promised increase, yet a slogan - CMU
by Rohana Jayalal
The Government calls for the views of trade unions before presenting
the Budget. However, the Government will do what its economic experts
wanted it to do, General Secretary, Ceylon Mercantile Industrial and
General Workers Union (CMU), Sylvester Jayakody told Sunday Observer
Business.
“We have to see what is in store for the people. We are discussing
what we should ask the government to do,” he said.
The wage disparity between the public sector and the private sector
is 200% . The minimum salary of a public sector worker is Rs. 30,000
whereas in the private sector it is Rs. 10,000, Jayakody said.
The promise to increase the salaries of private sector workers by Rs.
2,500 is yet a slogan even though the UNP election manifesto said that
an increase of Rs 1,500 had already been granted to private sector
workers in May 2015 with Rs.1,000 to be added in January to make the
increase Rs.2,500. However, this has not materialized up to now except
for some employers who had given increases taking this into account.
The disparity between the public and private sectors is so vast it is
difficult to imagine any way out.
“While the public sector workers enjoy a five-day week, the private
sector workers work six days a week.
The public sector enjoys 42 days annual leave, while most private
sector employees receive only the minimum of 14 days or no leave at all.
The informal sector is totally forgotten. We suggest it should be
changed,” Jayakody said.
When the Government decides on a national policy for investments they
should give thought to a decent minimum wage for private sector workers.
Workers seeking jobs in new ventures must work with dignity and enjoy
fundamental rights. The Government should make it clear to all investors
whether in industries or the services sector, that the workers should be
provided decent working conditions.
Attempts made to obtain the views of several leading trade union
leaders were not successful, as they were still discussing their
proposals for the Budget. |
