Trade unions representing a wide cross-section of Sri Lanka’s workforce have issued a firm demand for the national minimum wage to be increased to at least Rs. 50,000, warning the government that failure to act will trigger collective trade union action in the near future.
The unions argue that the proposed national minimum wage of Rs. 27,000, which targets private sector employees, is woefully inadequate—especially in a context where the 2024 national budget increased public sector minimum basic salaries from Rs. 24,250 to Rs. 40,000. They insist the private sector cannot continue to be sidelined in wage reform.
Quoting data from the Department of Census and Statistics and the Central Bank, union leaders stress that the monthly cost of living for a family of four has now exceeded Rs. 100,000, making Rs. 50,000 the absolute minimum wage required for any worker to live with basic dignity in the current economic climate.
The unions expressed particular dismay at the government’s failure to implement its own budget proposal. According to Anton Marcus, Joint Secretary of the Free Trade Zones and General Employees’ Union, the national minimum wage still hovers around Rs. 21,000, which includes outdated adjustments of Rs. 1,000 (2005) and Rs. 2,500 (2015). Despite the 2024 budget proposing a raise to Rs. 27,000, no gazette has been issued yet to legally enact the change.
“What logic supports a Rs. 27,000 minimum when public servants have already been bumped up to Rs. 40,000?” Marcus questioned. He also warned that plans to abolish the Rs. 2,500 monthly budget relief allowance for workers earning under Rs. 40,000 will further erode real income and make even the Rs. 27,000 figure meaningless.
He added that the government’s claim to raise the minimum wage to Rs. 30,000 by 2026 must be backed by clear legal steps. “You can’t just announce wage increases and walk away. We need action.”
Leslie Devendra, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Free Trade Union, said that his union passed a May Day resolution insisting that the government base wage decisions on its own economic data, not arbitrary figures. “Fifty thousand rupees is not an exaggerated demand; it is the bare minimum needed to survive in this economy,” he said.
Devendra was critical of the government’s failure to address the private sector in its wage policy, even as it increased public sector salaries. “If the public sector has moved to Rs. 40,000, how can you justify Rs. 27,000 for the private sector? It’s an insult.”
He added that while public sector employees often have the ability to strike, most private sector workers remain non-unionized and voiceless, accepting what they are given for fear of reprisal or job loss. “That’s why this is so serious—most private employees have no platform to speak up. The Minister of Labour must act urgently.”
Devendra also recalled that his union was the first to propose the national minimum wage to the government, with a recommendation to appoint a tripartite committee that would review wage levels every two years. But this proposal was ignored. “The wage should evolve with inflation and cost-of-living data. What’s the point of an unchanging number in a changing economy?”
Kalpa Madhuranga, General Secretary of the “Protect Union”, pointed to the growing divide between government and private sector wage floors. “When the government sets the private minimum at Rs. 27,000, companies will anchor their entire pay structures to that number. It will drag down the wages of millions,” he warned.
Madhuranga also drew attention to past promises. “Last May Day, Manusha Nanayakkara promised a wage increase for estate workers. It happened—somewhat. But now we want to see what the National People’s Power government will do. This government includes former union leaders like Wasantha Samarasinghe and Mahinda Jayasinghe, who once fought beside us.”
He continued: “If this government, which calls itself a workers’ government, can’t even set a decent minimum wage, what message does that send to the people? We expected an announcement on May Day. Instead, we’re getting silence.”
Madhuranga warned that failing to address this disparity will push private sector workers into deeper financial insecurity. “People are already taking loans, doing excessive OT, or turning to illicit income just to survive. The government is forcing the working class to the edge.”
He concluded by noting that multiple major unions are now in active discussions to launch unified trade union action if the Rs. 50,000 demand is not taken seriously. “If there’s no timeline, no clarity, and no justice, we’re heading to the streets.”
The government is yet to respond to these mounting calls for action. But with pressure rising and the working class growing restless, this wage war could very well become the next major showdown.
