According to the government-owned Alkaduwa Plantation Company, plantation workers’ daily wages are set at 1700 rupees per a government circular. However, a new circular has been issued instructing them to revert to the old wages from this month.
This situation has led to significant unrest among Alkaduwa employees.
Despite no plantation company increasing salaries to 1700 rupees and continuing to pay the old wages, Mr. Sumit Jayaratne, Chairman of Alkaduwa Plantation Company, decided to implement the increased salary, aiming to earn favor with the government.
He also arranged for significant media coverage of this decision.
However, Alkaduwa Plantation Company does not pay EPF or ETF to its employees.
Now, the top management of Alkaduwa has announced that employees will receive the old wages instead of the increased daily salary.
As a result, Chairman Jayaratne is currently facing significant challenges.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced the wage increase to 1700 rupees for plantation workers during the May Day rally of the Labor Congress at Kotagala Public Stadium on May 1. Consequently, the government issued an extraordinary gazette notice raising the wages effective April 30.
Subsequently, other plantation companies challenged this in court, leading the Supreme Court to suspend the gazette notification.
