Agrapatana Plantations Limited and others vs Hon. Nimal Siripala De Silva, Minister of Labour – CA WRIT APPLICATION NO. 143/2021-2021

In the case between several plantation companies, including Agrapatana Plantations Limited and Balangoda Plantations PLC, and the Minister of Labour with the Chairman and Members of the Wages Board, the court addressed the legality of fixing a minimum daily wage of Rs. 900 plus a Rs. 100 Budgetary Relief Allowance via Gazette No. 2217/37 (“P12”), despite objections from employers. The court held that interim relief to stay operation of ‘P12’ should not be granted, reaffirming the principle that injunctive relief requires careful consideration of the balance of convenience, risk of rendering final relief ineffective, and exposure to irreparable harm. This decision relied on established Supreme Court guidelines on interim relief, emphasizing that potential hardship to workers outweighed the