Digambaram tells Namal not to oppose plantation workers’ wage hike

13 November 2025 03:44 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 13 Bookmark

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By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Colombo, Nov. 13 (Daily Mirror) - While admiring the government's decision to allocate Rs. 5,000 million to increase the wages of the plantation workers, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP Palani Digambaram today urged opposition MPs such as Namal Rajapaksa and Nizam Kariapper not to oppose the allocation of state funds for the matter.

The MP told Parliament that some opposition MPs, including Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MP Nizam Kariapper were against the allocation of tax money to increase the wages of plantation sector workers.

"They must know that these plantation workers have strived to earn foreign exchange to the country for 200 years. We urge them not to criticise this proposal. We must be happy if this government is doing it whereas the previous governments failed to do it," he said.

Comments - 13

Fooled by NPP government Thursday, 13 November 2025 03:51 PM

Listen brother, why doesnt the government impose a minimum wage for the estate workers if they are being exploited? The problem is with the subsidy. The government is basically covering the labor cost of tea estates. They are getting a government handout framed as wage increment for plantation workers. This money is going to estate owners from the government. Nobody is stupid to believe otherwise, except us fools who voted for NPP.

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Kishu Gomes Friday, 14 November 2025 05:03 AM

What about other workers?

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Shahul Hamza Thursday, 13 November 2025 04:04 PM

There is a process. State Funds cannot be misused by anyone !! If a Worker is from a Private Company, the State cannot pay !! It amounts to misuse of State Resources !!

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RanjithT Thursday, 13 November 2025 04:19 PM

It is a violation of financial regulations to pay incentives or any salary to private sector using public funds. All have become total misfits and has shown ignorance in promoting salary payments to private sector employees which will bring the country to chaos. Why should tax payers pay private sector salaries? It appears that blackmailing the reality is in progress. Country cannot take decisions based on emotions.

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Peter Ranasinghe Thursday, 13 November 2025 10:04 PM

Based on your argument, the forex earned through these estate workers' hard work should not be accessible to rest of the country.

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RanjithT Friday, 14 November 2025 11:24 AM

What exactly are you trying to say?

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Sambo Thursday, 13 November 2025 07:39 PM

This alone shows their real colors. They talk for the plantation people on stage but this shows their true attitude. These plantation workers are working improve the economy of the country. They wake up by 5 in the morning and start their work. If they don't work are you going to get your people to work. It easy to give Aswesuma and Samurdhi gets 5000 to 7500 increments for doing nothing and living on the pax payers' money, if so why should these poor people not get a salary 1750 a day.

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D P P Prasad Thursday, 13 November 2025 07:55 PM

The salary hikes of the estate sector workers should be highly commendable. For a considerable period no government paid its attention to increase the wages of the estate sector employees except the NPP led government. As a party leader who represents upcountry employers Digambaran has understood it very clearly despite the political differences. Therefore all the opposition parliamentarians should appreciate this decision instead of criticising it

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Ceylonese Friday, 14 November 2025 10:20 AM

Well said.

0 3

joshua Thursday, 13 November 2025 08:45 PM

Namal has a short sight as he is only worried of how much money goes into his family's pockets.

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Dr Tissa Fernando Friday, 14 November 2025 04:13 AM

Tax money is given back to plantation owners to subsidise their payroll. Plantation companies are not footing the bill , the government money will be spent. So this way, what about the sectors , they too will ask for such salary increases. Toilet and Laundry Suda was saying that estate workers are worshipping Pachanayake as GOD , but this increase and sentiment will last for one month only. After that it will be back to their usual GODs .

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P Kunchithapathan Friday, 14 November 2025 06:14 AM

A wage increase for plantation workers has been long overdue for decades. Their suffering and hardships never received the attention they deserved from successive governments, which seemed more concerned about securing the world’s Number One spot for Ceylon Tea than about the wellbeing of the very people who made it possible. At last, this government has taken the initiative to bring lasting change to the wages of these deserving workers. In contrast, the opposition has seized upon this issue as a tool to stir muddy waters and gain political mileage.

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Jude Friday, 14 November 2025 09:51 AM

Namal have no idea what he's doing, he have very bad advisors.

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