- Monthly subscription increased
- State Minister sends circular to companies
By Easwaran Rutnam
The recent wage hike for plantation workers after weeks of protests and negotiations was a welcome sign.
However, some plantation workers are unable to enjoy the full benefit of the pay increase.
Trade unions linked to some political parties have increased the monthly subscription mandatory for plantation workers to pay.
One payslip seen by The Sunday Morning shows a deduction of Rs. 233 as the trade union monthly subscription.
The payslip shows that out of Rs. 20,414 the individual was entitled to, a total of around Rs. 9,000 had been deducted, including Rs. 233 as the monthly subscription.
After a long struggle, plantation industry stakeholders signed a new wage agreement in January this year resulting in the basic daily wage of plantation workers being increased to Rs. 700.
The agreement signing was done with the participation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Leader Arumugam Thondaman, Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC) General Secretary S. Ramanathan, representatives of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), and other stakeholders.
Plantation worker trade unions and regional plantation companies (RPCs) reached a settlement to increase the basic daily wage to Rs. 700, with a Rs. 100 million pledge by the Government to help companies pay three months’ wage arrears.
The trade unions, which earlier called for a Rs. 1,000 basic wage, brought down their demand to accept the offer by RPCs to increase the basic wage to Rs. 700, up Rs. 75 from their earlier offer of Rs. 625.
The representatives from the CWC, Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU), and JPTUC agreed to the Rs. 700 basic wage, with a Rs. 20 increase from the current Rs. 30 in the price share supplement (PSS), totalling a daily wage of Rs. 750. The negotiations also saw an increase in payment for additional output by Rs. 15 per kilogramme.
However, some plantation workers say they are unable to feel the real benefit of the wage hike as the monthly subscription fee increased.
RPCs say they have nothing to do with the increase of the monthly subscription fee and that they only follow the guidelines set by the EFC.
When contacted, EFC Director General/Chief Executive Officer Kanishka Weerasinghe said that he did not wish to comment on the issue.
EFC and RPC sources, however, noted that union subscription is a legitimate recovery done with the consent of the workers and subsequent approval of the Assistant Commissioner of Labour in the respective districts.
“This is not something that happened after the recent wage negotiations. This recovery has happened for many decades. The workers could opt out of it, if they wished, by informing the estate management in writing,” sources added.
The Sunday Morning learnt that only a few trade unions charge a monthly subscription fee.
Estate trade unions are mostly attached to either CWC Leader Thondaman, Minister of Hill Country New Villages, Infrastructure, and Community Development Palani Digambaram, or State Minister of Plantations Industries and Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) Secretary Vadivel Suresh.
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Digambaram said the trade union affiliated to him does not charge a monthly subscription fee. Suresh said that his trade union also opposes charging a monthly subscription fee.
In addition, as Suresh said, he wrote to the plantation companies requesting them to not charge the fees or maintain it at the earlier rate.
“With the present economic situation and the cost of living, I am totally against this monthly subscription increase. There is an additional Rs. 50 which was to be paid to the workers which is also pending. So, I sent a circular to the plantation companies requesting them not to increase the monthly trade union subscription fee,” he said.
He said that before the new collective agreement was signed in January, a monthly subscription fee of Rs. 50 was charged, but now, some unions have increased it.
“They can maintain it at Rs. 150, but if some workers object, then even that should not be charged because they are there to do a service. At this juncture, I am totally against an increase,” he said.
The State Minister said that the monthly subscription fee differs in some estates, but he requested that not more than Rs. 150 be charged, in case it is required.
The CWC could not be reached for a comment.
