According to the provisions of the National Minimum Wage of Employees Amendment Act No. 11 of 2025, the national minimum wage in the private sector will increase from Rs. 27,000 to Rs. 30,000 with effect from 1 January 2026, and the daily wage will increase from Rs. 1,080 to Rs. 1,200, said the Commissioner General of Labour, H. M. D. N. K. Wataliyadda.
Accordingly, employers must make the relevant payments and in the proper implementation of this amendment act, every employer, including the immediate employer and the ultimate employer, is bound by the provisions of the said act in relation to an employee employed in an industry or service through an intermediary or contractor.
Also, in accordance with Section 4 of the amended Act, no other allowances received by an employee as of 31.03.2025, other than the addition of budgetary relief allowances, shall be used to offset the minimum wage.
Furthermore, according to this salary increase, the responsibility of applying all statutory payments such as Employees’ Provident Fund, Employees’ Trust Fund, overtime, gratuity, maternity benefit payments and holiday payments will be transferred to the employers.
Also, if there are any employers who are not making proper payments, complaints regarding the same can be entered into the Department of Labour’s complaint management system via cms.labourdept.gov.lk or submitted in writing to the nearest Labour Office, Ms. Wataliyadda further said.
