CWC, LJEWU, JPTUC powwow on fresh concord

P. Krishnaswamy

The Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and the other two major trade unions that were signatories to the Collective Agreement on wage increase to the plantation workers would meet next Tuesday for important discussions on a fresh Agreement with the plantation management companies, said Arumugan Thondaman, General Secretary of the party and Minister of Youth Empowerment and Socio Economic Development.

He told the Sunday Observer that while Tuesday’s meeting would be confined only to the CWC and the other two unions, the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers’ Union (LJEWU) and the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC), leaders of all plantation trade unions who are sincerely interested in the welfare of the plantation workers would also be called for subsequent meetings for discussions and exchange of views on an adequate wage increase to the workers.

The last Collective Agreement signed in late 2007 on wage increase and working condition of the plantation workers will expire on March 31, 2009.

Contention between trade unions and the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, representing the plantation management companies, on the quantum of wage increase led to months long unrest, including TU action in the plantations telling badly on the national coffers.

After President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s personal initiative and intervention the agreement was signed in late 2007 offering a wage increase of Rs. 300 with retrospective effect as from April 2007.

Minister Thondaman also said that a sum of Rs. 700 million was allocated to his ministry last year for further improving educational, training, cultural and health facilities in the plantation sector, especially for the younger generation.

The yearly allocations made under the Mahinda Chinatanaya program for socio-economic development of the plantation community continues to remain a great boon towards efforts to uplift the living standard and working condition of the plantation workers as well providing better educational and employment opportunities to their youth, he said.

The funds allocated last year were utilised on providing enhanced facilities to the 43 Prajasakthi IT centres situated at 43 places in the central hill country and attended by over 10,000 students.

Funds were also allocated last year to the Thondaman Vocational Centre in Hatton, where training is imparted in 16 different trades in order to make the plantation youths eligible for employment opportunities in the State and private sector as well as overseas employment.

Promotion of health care services, development of physical and social infrastructure, development of sports and recreational facilities as well as promotion of cultural and religious activities were other areas in the plantation sector to which funds were allocated last year, he stated.