Give dividends to plantation workers to end standoff: Opposition

The planters' unions and Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) could distribute dividends of their profit among the tea plantation workers if increasing the daily basic wage was troublesome, the Opposition today said.

Former Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge said while addressing a news briefing held at the Opposition Leader’s Office that the tea plantation companies enjoy a generous income due to the deprecation of rupee.

“When the agreement was signed among the shareholders in tea industry to increase the daily basic wage last time, the value of rupee was Rs.130 against the US$. Today, the value is about Rs.175. The tea estate management companies can pay an amount from their production cost to the workers,” he said.

He said if the daily basic wage cannot be increased to Rs.1,000, the companies could at least consider providing an all-inclusive daily wage of Rs.1,000.(Lahiru Pothmulla)