Workers’ day and the state of SL workers

The first of May,   more commonly referred to as May Day -- is set apart worldwide to celebrate the contribution workers of the world play in keeping the cogs of this world’s economies turning smoothly. More importantly,  it commemorates the struggles of workers all over the world to obtain a just share of the profits of their production,  and demand conditions to enable their families with the means in which they can grow and develop.

May Day has been observed in our country as a holiday since 1956 for workers in the Government sector and the mercantile sector. Despite Vesak falling in May, the May Day celebrations have never clashed with the activities conducted during Vesak celebrations. However in 2018, the then president unilaterally decided to postpone May Day activities claiming they would clash with the festivities of ‘Vesak Week’.

This year too,  there was a fear the same problem would arise, with May Day activities overlapping with Vesak festivities (May Day fell on poya day which many believed to be the day on which Vesak was to be celebrated).  The present Government should be commended for its handling of a dicey situation with aplomb. In consultation with Buddhist religious leaders, Vesak celebrations and religious activities were postponed to May 30 – also a poya day. 

The present government used its persuasive powers to ensure that recognition of Lankan workers’ contribution to the development of our country did not go unrecognised. Using its negotiating powers, it snuffed out a possible confrontation with political opportunists who would have attempted to use the issue to claim the regime was not giving Buddhism its due place.

Be that as it may, unfortunately in our country, even in this so-called enlightened era, workers toil for a pittance in slave-like conditions. Workers in many countries the world over receive low wages, wages are delayed on various pretexts or not paid at all using different excuses.  

In most instances, while legislation is in place to prevent such situations, employers enjoy ‘special relationships’ with the powers that be to work their way around laws designed to protect employees. 

Today the average gross monthly salary for  government sector workers stands at approximately Rs. 55,000 while the minimum wage for the private sector was raised to Rs. 30,000. Yet in April 2026, the average cost of having two square meals a day, costs a family of four, approximately Rs. 2,000 per day, per family or Rs. 60,000 per month. This leaves no funds for children’s education, medical needs, transport or other miscellaneous activity.

The situation of workers on the tea and rubber estates – mainly up country Tamils (Malaiyaha community) has been much worse and largely ignored. Local trade unions, most of whom are by and large affiliated to political parties,  paid little attention to their problems as they did not have voting rights until more recently.

Their wages were well below national wage levels. They did not enjoy land rights or the right to free medical treatment at government hospitals, which is available to all other communities. It was only in 2024 that  their daily wage was increased to Rs. 1,700. It was subsequently raised to 

Rs. 1,750 per day. 

It is in this context that this year’s May Day celebration becomes important.  The Government despite its pre-election promises has not been able to ease the economic burdens placed on the shoulders of the more deprived sections of the people. It promised to eliminate corruption and bring to book crooked politicians who misused resources of the country.

In the immediate aftermath of its election victory, a few ex-politicians of the previous regime were taken into custody and charged. But what the country sees now is something akin to a game of musical chairs. Ex-ministers and past politicians are taken in for questioning, are charged, remanded and released on bail.

In an even more unfortunate turn of events, we are today witnessing ministers of the newly elected government who promised us a ‘clean government’ now being charged with corruption. Making matters worse,  we see even our president making no move to throw them out of his government.  

Without weeding out the ‘chaff from the weeds’ so-to-say,  we see a senior figure in the ruling elite attempting to divert attention away from corruption charges within its own members, by  promising to recover funds allegedly stolen by previous regimes. There is a belief that ‘democracy’ breeds corruption.

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