|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Athauda comes to the rescue of employees by Don Asoka Wijewardena To implement the Workers' Charter, the Minister of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment, Athauda Seneviratne, will meet the National Advisory Committee (NAC) trade union and trade union federations shortly. Terminated employees both in the public and private sector will get an allowance for a period of one year until they find jobs. A housing loan scheme for all EPF subscribers attached to different categories of employment will be given through the employee provident fund, including estate workers in the plantation sector. The job security of all Sri Lankan migrant workers along with all contract workers will be protected and people in the North-East wishing to go abroad for employment will be encouraged. Minister Seneviratne said in an interview with the Sunday Observer. Minister Seneviratne said that he had decided to meet the NAC and all trade union and federation officials to discuss their views to successfully implement the workers' charter and added that he had also planned to convene meetings with trade union representatives of all political parties to discuss and settle labour-related disputes at workplaces. He pointed out that a large number of workers were unable to have a shelter of their own due to financial constrains and said that he would introduce a housing loan scheme with low interest for EPF subscribers. He also noted that he had already discussed this scheme with President Kumaratunga who had approved the proposal. Referring to the Sri Lankan labour market, Seneviratne explained that skilled and unskilled workers were in great demand, especially in the Middle East. "It is essential to train migrant workers before they leave for other countries. Many surveys have revealed that lack of training, language barriers and absence of cultural awareness of particular countries have caused a lot of problems for Lankan workers. I am planning to introduce an intensive on-the-job training programme for all Sri Lankans before they leave the country," he said. The Minister said that he had met Korean and Malaysian ambassadors to Sri Lanka and had reached agreements regarding the export of Sri Lankan labourers to those countries. He said that as a result of his discussions, around 15,000 Lankan labourers would have a chance to work in those countries within a few months. According to Minister Seneviratne, the UNF government's foreign job scheme was not so productive as a large number of Sri Lankans have fallen into despondency. New agreement with Italy and Malasiya will be signed shortly. When asked about the plight of housemaids, Seneviratne said that he had planned to meet Labour Ministers of Middle-Eastern countries where harassment and ill-treatment to housemaids had continued. The Minister emphasised that he had instructed Sri Lankan embassy officials,especially labour relations officials and welfare officials, to contact relevant agents in those countries and urge them to release the affected workers who could be reemployed under another employer. Referring to contract workers, Seneviratne said that most trade unions were not in favour of employment conditions of contract employees who were required to work the same way as permanent employees. "It is not fair to treat contract workers differently because they also do their jobs as other staff. Their worker rights must be safeguarded. I have decided to discuss the problems pertaining to all contract employees with trade unions and employers shortly." |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
