Budget 2025: Trade unions up in arms over salary issues

• States take home salaries of those in the heath sector has been reduced for the first time through the budget

By Yohan Perera

The maiden budget of the NPP government came under fire by the trade unions representing the state institutions yesterday with some unions claiming that their take home salaries have been reduced for the first time.  
President Medical Laboratory Technologists Dr. Ravi Kumudesh told Daily Mirror that the take home salaries of those in the health sector has been reduced for the first time through the budget.  

“The off-day payment of the medical sector workers were 1/20 of the monthly salary earlier but it has been reduced to 1/30 from this budget. The overtime allowance has also been reduced to 1/200 from the monthly salary from the earlier 1/100. This has resulted in a reduction of our take home salary for the first time,” Dr. Kumudesh said.  
“The number of years which a worker in the health sector has to serve to obtain a promotion has been increased ranging from ten years to 20 years. Earlier, a medical worker was able to get his or her first promotion after working for six years. Most of us would be in the cemetery by the time we become eligible for promotions,” he added.  
Ceylon Teachers’ Union Secretary Joseph Stalin said the government has neglected the recommendations of the Subodini Commission with regard to teacher salaries. “The Subodini Commission recommended a payment of two thirds of the salary arrears but the government has granted only one third of the salary arrears this time,” he said.  
“We will talk to all unions in the education sector and decide on a course of action,” he added.  
Convener Samagi Joint Trade Union Federation Ananda Palitha said the Rs 20,000 salary increment which the public servants expected has not been granted by the government... “ Only a Rs 15,000 increment is granted and that too will come in three phases. Also, the private sector has been ignored. Key Ministers in the government pledged to reduce taxes from fuel while they were in opposition. That too has been forgotten by the government,” he said.  
“The government has failed to come up with revenue earning proposals in the budget. What we can expect is a price hike of goods and taxes,” he also said.