President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a Special Committee to present solutions after studying the short and long term issues related to the tea industry, including the wage issue of the estate workers.
This committee was appointed on yesterday during a special discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the wage issue of the plantation workers.
Mr. H. M. P. Hitisekara , the President’s Chief of Staff, Mr. J.A. Ranjith. Secretary, Ministry of Plantation Industries, Mr. R.P.R. Rajapaksa, Secretary of Ministry of Labour, Dr. R.H.S Samaratunga, Secretary to the Treasury, Tea Board Chairman W.L.P. Wijewardena, Mr. J. Wimalaweera , Commissioner General of Labour and the Chairman of the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority and a representative representing Planters’ Association of Ceylon, Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners Association, Sri Lanka Tea Brokers’ Association and Tea Exporters Association of Sri Lanka will be included in this committee.
The aim of this committee is to address issues related to the tea industry and to accelerate the steps that should be taken to develop the industry and to increase the welfare activities implemented for the benefit of the workers engaged in the industry. Within a month, the committee report should be submitted to the President.
The obstacles that have arisen in the process of raising the salaries of the tea industry workers and the issues that have arisen in the field of tea exports were also discussed broadly at this meeting.
Secretary to the President Mr. Udaya R. Senevirathne, relevant Ministry Secretaries, public servants, veteran cricketer, Muttiah Muralitharan, representatives of the Associations related to the tea industry and others participated in this meeting.