Budget is a fraud – State sector gets 3124 while private sector gets 375 – nothing for estates!
The demands of the working people have been completely ignored in the budget proposals presented to Parliament today (24th) by Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Minister of Finance, despite bragging that the working masses have been given a massive increase in their salaries says the President of National Trade Union Center (NTUC) K.D. Lal Kantha.
Releasing a communiqué on behalf of the NTUC Mr. Lal Kantha says the state sector salaries have been increased by Rs.3124 but the increase for the private sector is only Rs.375. However, the estate sector has been completely ignored says Mr. Lal Kanatha.
The NTUC carried out a campaign before the budget was presented demanding that all allowances of state sector employees should be added to the salaries, the salaries should be increased by Rs.10,000 and laws should be adopted to increase the salaries of the private sector remind Mr. Lal Kantha in his communiqué.
However, the President has given from the budget only an allowance of Rs.2200 and a salary increase of Rs.924 pointed out the President of NTUC adding that the total increase for state sector employee is only Rs.3124. He said it is a complete deception of the working masses and added that this cannot even meet the arrears of the living allowance of Rs.15302 that has been accumulated since Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power.
Despite state employees demanding that all allowances that have been given should be added to the salary, only Rs.2346, which is only 20% of the Rs.10146, has been given. When the demand was for a minimum of Rs.10,000 increase to the salary the President has given only Rs.924.
Despite demanding laws to be adopted to increase the salaries of the private sector employees the President has proposed a minimum salary of Rs. 10,000 which increases the salaries only by Rs.375 pointed out Mr. Lal Kantha. It is not what the estate sector employees expected. There is nothing mentioned regarding salaries of estate sector employees.
The demands of the working masses have been completely ignored said Mr. Lal Kantha and said that by adding Rs.3123 as salary and allowance for the state sector the President has played a numbers game which is a big fraud.
He said the NTUC would never accept the proposals and added that the only path left for working masses is to commence a massive trade union action. He called upon the working masses to be prepared for a massive struggle to win their just demands.
