The Minister said so while participating in the committee stage debate on budget 2015 under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations.

President Rajapaksa has proposed to give permanent positions to workers who completed 180 days on casual and contract basis, provide a monthly payment of Rs 5,000 for the 1980 July strikers and the widows of their dead colleagues. “These are real achievements of the working class. These relief measures have been provided countering various challenges. The President had also made a request that private sector employees too be granted some concessions,” the Minister said.

He said that the action had been taken to increase the basic minimum salary for the public sector employees. Initiatives have been taken to rectify salary anomalies. “There are half a million vacancies for nursing sector jobs in the world job market. We hope our talented youth could fill these vacancies. We are promoting the Advanced Level passed to capture such opportunities,” the Minister added. (Special Reporter/HC)