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| Sunday, 25 April 2004 |
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Committee to look into CWE reorganisation by Don Asoka Wijewardena Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle has appointed a committee to look into the immediate problems affecting the employees of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) and to formulate a constructive reorganisation plan to improve its services. The committee comprises Senior Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs D.C. Dissanayaka, CWE General Manager Wimal Perera and a number of trade union representatives. Minister Fernandopulle has also advised the committee to draw a plan to protect the rights of CWE employees and to find a strategy to make available essential consumer items at CWE outlets at easy-on-the-purse prices. Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, S. Wirithamulla told the Sunday Observer that Minister Fernandopulle is expected to meet the committee tomorrow to discuss its proposals and to implement them immediately. He added that it was the wish of the Minister to cater to the needs of the common man through the CWE without leaving any room for food shortages or inefficient customer services. The Secretary also told the Sunday Observer that responding to the request made by JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti, Minister Fernandopulle would take steps shortly to appoint a special committee to investigate corruption, waste, abuse of State vehicles and malpractice at the Ministry. Wirithamulla said out of the 6,280 CWE employees, 2,012 opted to go on retirement under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), but only 660 have so far been retired. Another group has been released to CWE Retail Ltd. While 779 employees have expressed their willingness to remain in service in the CWE without retiring under the VRS, from the 660 who opted to retire, 131 employees wanted to continue their services. We are planning to retain their services and have already devised an effective human resources development programme to enhance the quality of CWE's operations throughout the country," he said. According to Wirithamulla, Minister Fernandopulle has already taken steps to reinstate the 131 employees who had earlier applied for the VRS. |
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