Govt. must acquire underperforming estate companies : Nimal

COLOMBO (News1st): The ownership of estate companies that do not pay a Rs 1000 daily to estate workers must be transferred to the government, labour minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has said. "Then we will be in charge of these companies and pay them the wages. We must protect this industry," de Silva said during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday. The Wages Board had announced that a basic wage of Rs 900 and a budgetary allowance of Rs 100 would be offered to plantation workers despite objections from certain estate companies. But the All Ceylon Estate Workers Union has pointed out that there is an ulterior motive behind the government's attempt to takeover plantation companies that do not settle the wage. "Our estates could be handed over to (India's) Adani group that is being opposed by Indian farmers and labourers," Kitnan Selvaraj, the chairman of the union noted. He pointed out that attempts are being taken to lease the estate companies for 20 to 25 years.