President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday (Dec.08) advised the heads of plantation companies to engage in a collective agreement concerning the wage hike for plantation workers, aiming for a minimum of Rs. 1,700, as per their request.

Alternatively, they were urged to reach a consensus on the increased wage amount before December 31st.

This guidance was imparted during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday morning, where the President met with the heads of plantation companies.

The purpose of the meeting was to explore how regional plantation companies could align their programs with the agricultural modernization initiative outlined in this year’s budget.

The conversation also delved into the program designed to grant land rights to plantation workers. President Wickremesinghe expressed his intention to establish committees for future work, proposing one committee to address the housing needs of plantation workers and another to represent the interests of both workers and plantation companies.

Emphasizing his confidence in an export-oriented economy for the country’s economic development, President Wickremesinghe stressed the collective contribution needed to ensure the success of the agricultural modernization program.

He highlighted the growing demand for food due to the increasing population of Asian countries and urged the country’s export economy to prepare for this reality.

The event, attended by Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Promotion Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of State for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, and numerous representatives from local plantation companies, also discussed various aspects of the proposed initiatives.

--PMD