Category: Other
Sri Lanka state rice stock pile to be sold
Sept 17, 2009 (LBO) – A lower grade government rice stock pile in Sri Lanka would be sold at 33 rupees a kilo, a government minister said, at time when the island’s staple food is near last year’s ‘food crisis’ levels.“We have built up a 44,000 tonnes of buffer stocks, we are only selling 15,000 […]
Sri Lanka tea wage crisis over, Rs6bn extra cost
Sept 14, 2009 (LBO) – A dispute over a wage hike that disrupted tea supplies from Sri Lankan plantations had ended with labour unions agreeing to a deal which will cost the industry about six billion rupees a year, a senior official said. Regional plantations companies (RPCs) and labour unions are to sign a deal […]
Sri Lanka tea wage deal to cost industry Rs6bn extra
Sept 14, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s plantations industry will face about six billion rupees in extra costs owing to a deal with labour unions that ended a dispute over a wage hike that had disrupted tea supplies from hill-country estates, a senior official said. Regional plantations companies (RPCs) are to sign a deal today […]
Cambodia joins rubber association
PHNOM PENH, September 14, 2009 (AFP) – Cambodia has joined the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries in the hope of further developing the nation’s rubber industry, a government official said Monday.Ly Phalla, director-general of Cambodia’s directorate of rubber, said the ascension to the inter-governmental organisation will bring its burgeoning industry new technology and help […]
‘s Jet Airways, as strike ends
MUMBAI, September 13, 2009 (AFP) – Services on India’s second-largest private airline, Jet Airways, resumed on Sunday after a five-day walk-out by pilots ended, the company said.Jet officials, who sacked two other pilots for breach of disciplinary procedures, on Sunday told a news conference in Mumbai that no action would be taken against the pilots. […]
Sri Lanka estate wage dispute breakthrough seen
Sept 13, 2009 (LBO) – Talks between Sri Lankan plantations companies and labour unions on a pay hike appeared to have made some headway when the dominant union agreed on a deal, union officials said. Plantations companies had said they were unable to pay 500 rupees a day as they cannot afford it given high […]
Sri Lanka estate wage dispute deadlocked
Sept 12, 2009 (LBO) – Talks between Sri Lankan plantations companies and labour unions on a pay hike were unsuccessful Friday and are likely to be resumed next week, although the gap seems to have narrowed, union officials said.O A Ramiah,.Secretary General of the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre, one of the three main unions […]
Sri Lanka sugar firm uses state credit to stop farmers switching to other crops
Sept 12, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Pelwatte Sugar Industries (PSISL) has used a state-supported credit scheme to stop farmers from moving into more attractive food crops and rubber cultivation and lobbied the government to increase tariff barriers.Chairman M J C Amarasuriya told shareholders the firm had been able to use a rural credit scheme […]
Indian ministers revolt over economy air travel: reports
NEW DELHI, September 11, 2009 (AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has backed down after his cabinet revolted against an austerity drive that would have forced ministers to fly in economy class, reports said Friday.Singh faced a barrage of complaints when he chaired his weekly meeting on Thursday over a series of cost-cutting steps […]
”’s Jet Airways enters fourth day
MUMBAI, September 11, 2009 (AFP) – India’s second-largest private airline, Jet Airways, on Friday cancelled 171 flights, including 16 on international routes, as a stand-off between pilots and management entered a fourth day.But the further grounding of planes came amid hopes of an end to the dispute, as pilots prepared to meet bosses and India’s […]
Indonesia detains 56 Afghan migrants: navy official
MATARAM, September 11, 2009 (AFP) – Indonesia has detained 56 Afghan migrants off the eastern island of Lombok who were attempting to travel by wooden boat to Australia, a navy official said Friday. The migrants’ boat was intercepted in the waters near Papakan island east of Lombok last night, local navy official Colonel Nanang Eko […]
Sri Lanka tea estate wage talks deadlocked
Sept 11, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan plantations companies and labour unions failed to agree on a wage hike at talks Thursday and are set to resume negotiations Friday morning, officials said.S Ramanathan of the Joint Plantations Trade Union Centre, one of the three main unions negotiating with employers, said both sides remained far apart […]