The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I understood from Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara’s remarks that, having lost jobs, Opposition Members are now seeking new ones—he says he’s “gaining weight” these days! Their fear of this Government’s actions and their dark future are now evident.

¶ 02 Today’s debate concerns Bills to increase the minimum wage of private sector workers. The largest share of our labour force is in the private sector—the engine of the economy. I also serve as Chairman of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union, which represents a vast portion of these workers. We agitated for pay rises; our Government, in its first Budget, decided to raise the public service minimum by Rs. 9,000. The Opposition tried to find faults, using this Chamber to cry about their woes. Bring your tapes next time!

¶ 03 On Port City and land deeds—if there is more to say, do so tomorrow. Today we discuss wages for 6.5 million organized and unorganized private sector workers. The Opposition tries to conflate estate wage matters to distract. Two MPs have already spoken of amending laws for that. As a Government, we stand for workers’ rights and will intervene. The estate wage matter is before court. After the 2019–2021 collective agreement expired with no increase, unions lacked agreements. Three unions sign in plantations: CWC, LJEWU, and the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (a coalition of 14 unions). Last September, after a fight at the Wages Board, the estate daily wage was set at Rs. 1,700; planters went to court. They then split it as Rs. 1,350 basic and Rs. 50 per kilo for extra leaves. Productivity varies by estate—some can pluck 13, 15, 18, 20, 22 kilos. For each kilo over the basic, Rs. 50 is paid, allowing workers to reach Rs. 1,700. During those Wages Board discussions, some Opposition Members were present. On 10 September 2024, the Wages Board settled it. With the collective agreement in place, do workers still need to protest? No. We are telling planters to ensure workers can actually earn Rs. 1,700 daily and will act to guarantee it.

¶ 04 For private sector employees, the minimum was Rs. 17,500. Two Budgetary Relief Acts—No. 36 of 2005 and No. 4 of 2016—added Rs. 3,500, making it Rs. 21,000. As that was insufficient, the Labour Minister, Deputy Minister, and employers’ federations agreed, and we proposed in the Budget to raise the minimum to Rs. 30,000: Rs. 6,000 from 1 April this year and Rs. 3,000 from next January. We did not cut the figure; we stood by Rs. 9,000. Thus, we are delivering the largest-ever basic wage increase in history to the private sector. From January, anyone working 25 days—a cleaner, a private security guard, a manpower employee, a shop worker—will have a minimum monthly wage of Rs. 30,000. That is definite.

¶ 05 I heard the Opposition now question enforcing the law. When some MPs’ children get caught drunk-driving, the matter vanishes in two days—cars are brought, things are fixed. Some Ministers too. When MPs are caught drunk at the wheel, they weep that there is no escape. The law must be equal for all—that is a core concept of our NPP Government. Enforcing the law causes their tears. Developing the country causes their tears. Instead of talking about wages, they say jobs will be lost. No: we are doing this with all employers on board. As our actions succeed and the country rises, the Opposition runs out of road.

¶ 06 Within this amendment, we wanted to discuss the contribution of private sector workers. As a result, wages of apparel workers in far-off rural factories too will rise to Rs. 30,000.