Estate workers demand wage increase

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 October 2004, 14:24 GMT]
Over thousands of Upcountry workers staged a protest campaign at Hatton main market, today afternoon, demanding increase in salary for estate workers and demanding that Collective Agreement (CA) should include other trade unions and should not be exclusive to Ceylon workers congress (CWC), sources in Hatton said.

The protest was organised by the Up country people front (UPF). This protest march started at Malligaipoo juntion and ended at Star Square near Hatton market.

UPF parliamentarian Nuwara-Eliya district Mr. Chandrasekaran, UNP national list parliamentarian Mr, Rathakrishnan, UNP parliamentarian for Colombo district Mr. Rajitha Senaratna, New Left front, other related trade unions, and non government organizations (NGO) also took part.





The protesters carried placards that the UPFA government take immediate actions on their demands.

Mr. Chandrasekaran criticized the CA agreement, and the activities of the government regarding this issue. He said that if a satisfactory response is not received soon they will continue the picketing campaign.








The Collective Agreement was signed on 30 September 2001, between plantation owners association and the trade union. Only the CWC took part in CA. This agreement expired at the end of September 2004 and is expected to be renegotiated. All estate trade unions are demanding to participate in the renegotiations.

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