Public Sector Trade Unions Demand For Rs. 8,000 Salary Hike

Public sector trade unions have launched a campaign to demand for a Rs. 8,000 salary increment from the government after it failed to grant any salary hikes in the recently passed 2010 Budget.

The JVP affiliated National Trade Union Center (NTUC) has commenced an island wide poster campaign demanding for a Rs. 8,000 salary increment for public sector employees from the government.

The increase according to NTUC is made in line with the increase of the cost of living (CoL) index from 2006 till June this year.

JVP politburo member and NTUC Head K.D. Lalkantha told The Sunday Leader that the Rs. 2,500 salary increment was a promise by the President and not a request by the working masses.

He explained that the CoL index has that was recorded at 140.8 in 2006 has increased up to 217.7 in June this year.

“There has been a Rs. 13,842 increase in the cost of living between 2006 and June this year. The government already pays Rs. 5,250 as a CoL allowance. When you deduct that amount from the total increase there is a balance of Rs. 8,592. This is the amount that the government needs to pay to the public sector employees according to the increase in the CoL,” Lalkantha pointed out, adding that the unions would now demand for a Rs. 8,000 salary increment for the public sector employees.