Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara is planning to bring special laws to protect plantation sector workers’ rights. The Minister mentioned this during a discussion held at the Ministry premises with representatives
of plantation trade unions. The meeting was held to discuss the series of programmes that will be implemented to mark 200 years since plantation workers came to Sri Lanka. The Minister’s special attention was drawn to the unresolved issues affecting the plantation workers for 200 years.
In order to solve those problems, the minister advised to bring special laws relevant to plantation workers’ rights and to include them when labour laws are drafted this year relevant to the budget proposals. Plantation workers are not currently considered as public sector or private sector employees and are not covered by Wage Control Boards. The minister expressed confidence that the new laws brought for plantation workers will give them better protection when it comes to employment related issues. The plantation unions raised issues regarding the fact that the letters sent by the Department of Labour are sent in Sinhala language to workers and because of that they are facing difficulties. Accordingly, the Minister further advised that all the letters sent by the Labour Department relevant to the plantation workers should also be sent in Tamil. MPs Jeevan Thondaman,Vadivel Suresh and Plantation Sector Trade Unions representatives, Labour and Foreign Employment Ministry Secretary R.P.A.Wimalaweera and Labour Commissioner General Prabath Chandrakeerthi were also present.
Add new comment