Radhakrishnan ready to resign if estate workers’ wages not increased

Non-Cabinet Minister of Special Area Development V. Radhakrishnan says he is ready to step down from his ministerial portfolio if the government does not intervene to increase the daily basic wage of estate workers.

Addressing a public meeting in Nuwara Eliya, the Non-Cabinet minister said he does not accord with the decision to increase the estate workers’ daily basic wage up to Rs 750.

The estate workers are demanding an increase up to Rs 1000 and it necessary that the government take measures in this regard, non-Cabinet Minister Radhakrishnan pointed out.

Meanwhile, traffic on Hatton-Dayagama main road had been disrupted for nearly two hours, due to a protest carried out by estate workers of Fordyce Tea Factory this morning (07).

The protestors urged the estate owners to either increase their daily basic wage up to Rs 1000 or provide them with a bonus of Rs 140 in addition to the existing basic wage of Rs 700.

They further claimed that the estate owners and politicians have deceived them by signing an agreement to increase their daily basic up to Rs 700, after promising them an increment up to Rs 1000.