Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday it was unreasonable that employees of the semi-government institutions such as corporations, authorities and statutory bodies, had not been granted the pay hike of Rs.2,500 which was given to government employees from July.
He told Parliament that the government should explain why the pay hike was not given to the semi-government employees and urged it to take steps to rectify this injustice.
He said all previous governments had granted a pay hike to the semi-government employees in line with the government employees’ pay hike.
“During our government, we took steps to increase salaries of the private sector employees to some extent. We managed to increase their salaries in discussion with the Finance Minister and the Labour Minister,” he said.
He said it was regrettable that this government had not thought of or had any discussion with regard to salary increase of private-sector employees.
Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunathilake reading out the answer sent by the Labour Ministry said the Ministry has no legal provisions to order semi-government institutions to increase the salaries in line with the Government employees.
He said the Ministry had submitted a cabinet paper to increase basic salary of the private sector.
(Daily Mirror)