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Sri Lankan unions come together for major wage hike

7 May, 2015IndustriALL affiliates in Sri Lanka have through collective actions achieved a wage increase for private sector workers by 15 – 35 per cent, making the minimum national wage for the sector around US$74. 

The new Sri Lankan Government has agreed to enhance wages of the Private Sector workers by around US$18, equaling a raise of between 15 and 35 per cent. This sets the minimum wage for private sector workers at US$74 per month.

Meanwhile, state sector employees have seen their wages revised by US$74, resulting in a minimum wage of around US$223, including allowances and benefits.

IndustriALL Sri Lanka Council and affiliates have been fighting for an increased minimum wage in the private sector for a few years, and played a major role in this latest success.

Leslie Devendra, of the IndustriALL Sri Lanka Council and president of Sri Lanka’s largest trade union SLNSS, says on the wage hike:

The increase is a welcome step in reducing the huge gap between the Private Sector employees and State Sector employees, but there is more work to be done.