ECONOMYNEXT — Public sector unions in Sri Lanka have urged the government to add 20,000 rupees to their basic salaries as opposed to ad hoc allowances to reflect increased living costs.
At a joint press conference held on Monday May 13, representatives from a number of public sector trade unions called for an increase in their basic pay.
“There are many expenses that government workers cannot afford such as transport costs, children’s education fees, inflation caused by various taxes, all of which they have had to bear under severe strain,” he said.
“We urge the government to add an amount to the government workers’ basic salary, an amount that they can sustain themselves on,” he added.
General secretary of the Joint Health Services Association Tampitiye Sugathananda thero told reporters at the press conference that increasing the basic salary is important as government pensions are calculated based on workers’ basic pay.
“In many sectors, government workers are paid less than 50,000 rupees as basic pay. Pensions are based on basic salary. Allowances are increased marginally but there is no increase in basic salary to reflect increased cost of living,” he complained.
Chairman of the Development Officers Trade Union Federation Attorney-at-law Anuradha Seneviratne said the basic salary of government workers has not seen an increase in eight years.
“Until there is a permanent basic salary increase under a national policy for the entire public service, we are ready to take trade union action with other unions in the government sector,” he said. (Colombo/May14/2024)