Estate community immensely benefited - CWC

by P. KRISHNASWAMY

The Ceylon Workers’ Congress President and Deputy Minister of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development, Muthu Sivalingam, said that the plantation community has, during the last three years of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration, immensely benefited in the economic, social and educational spheres by the different programs that are being implemented by his Ministry under the ‘Mahinda Chintana’.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer he said that the President was very considerate towards the welfare and well-being of the community, well understood the historical background for their decades-long social and political marginalisation and agreed to proposals and suggestions put forward by the CWC to address the problems.

The President on many an occasion put across his own proposals for the well-being of the plantation community, the Deputy Minister said, adding that the Cabinet recently approved a 10-year National Action Plan at which would cost the government Rs. 10 billion per year for promoting the standard of living of the community.

He also said the plantation community remained a totally neglected and politically marginalised community for centuries and, therefore, special political moves were necessary to bring them into the mainstream and the President has acknowledged it.

Excerpts

Q: Can you please explain the proposals being implemented by your Ministry for the welfare of the plantation community in terms of the ‘Mahinda Chintana’?

A: Under budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure Development, many programs aimed at improving the living and working conditions of the community, are being implemented.

These include projects to construct decent dwellings, power supply to living quarters, better sanitary and health facilities and construction of roads. A housing project with 5,600 units will be completed next year, electricity to several estates has already been provided with funds allocated for the year 2007 and many estate hospitals have been renovated and upgraded.

A new hospital was built and recently inaugurated in Frotoft Estate, Ramboda. Development projects are being implemented by the Nuwara Eliya and Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabhas with Rs. 300 million allocated to the two councils.

The Ministry also implemented a program to train 500 youth as drivers and arranged for the issue of driving licences to them in the Badulla, Nuwara Eliya and Ambagamuwa areas. New buildings for schools have been constructed and inaugurated in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya , Badulla and Ratnapura districts. At an expenditure of Rs. 50 million supply of drinking water was provided to estates in the Nuwara Eliya district.

Under the ‘Gama Neguma’ program Rs. 250 million has been allocated for the plantation sector. Development programs, similar to programs are being undertaken in rural villages, are to be introduced in the plantation estates. This unprecedented move is a matter for delight and appreciation.

The recent Cabinet approval for a 10 year National Action Plan in respect of the plantation community is a milestone in the history of the community.

Roads in the plantation areas to a total extent of 8000 kilometres, housing projects comprising 200,000 units, power supply encompassing the entire plantation estates and the establishment of educational centres and hospitals to meet the current requirements are some of the plans envisaged under the 10 year plan, which would need about Rs. 10 billion per year.

Since the allotment of such a huge amount is not possible under budget allocations, monetary assistance from foreign countries is to be sought. Under this 10-year plan, the President put forward ideas and suggestions on ways and means of formulating and implementing these projects.

His goodwill and humanitarian attitude for the welfare of the down-trodden plantation community is unprecedented in the history of this country and we are grateful to him.

Q: What are the primary social and economic problems being encountered by the plantation community at present and the measures you have recommended to the government to address them?

A: Unemployment and the very low percentage of literacy are major problems of the plantation community. We have recommended several measures for addressing these problems. We believe that the problem relating to education can be overcome in the future by seeking more assistance from international humanitarian organisations, especially the SIDA.

To address the unemployment problem, we have already started 50 IT centres in the plantation areas out of a 100 such centres to be started. All necessary facilities including instructors, computers and technical assistance to impart proper IT education to the unemployed plantation youth have been provided to these centres. We are hoping to start 50 more centres in the future.

About 400 enthusiastic students are attending each centre. Through IT education we expect to resolve the unemployment problem to a certain extent. We are also in negotiation with the government to provide more employment opportunities to educated plantation youth in the State sector.

Q: Plantation workers were not offered any wage increase under the budget. What are the measures the CWC is proposing to increase their wages, bypassing the existing Collective Agreement between plantation TUs and Plantation Management companies?

A: Prior to 1997 the plantation worker received a meagre wage. Mobilising its full strength, the CWC fought for higher wages and ultimately entered into a Collective Agreement with the plantation employers.

The wage of the plantation workers has now gradually risen from Rs. 14/- to Rs. 295/-. Plantation workers do not get wage increases under the budget, unless it becomes a legal obligation of the entire private sector.

Certain TUs and political parties representing the plantation community are making irresponsible statements and demands in relation to a wage increase to the plantation workers which are likely to deter successful negotiations to get a reasonable wage increase.

We are preparing to negotiate for a wage increase to commensurate with the rising COL index. The President has admitted that it is the plantation industry that has all along remained the backbone of our economy.

Q: Certain sections of the media have reported that a recent CWC discussion with President Mahinda Rajapaksa was centred on the need for consolidating the CWC vote base in the plantation areas. Your comments please?

A: We never held any such discussion. The reports are baseless. There is no need for consolidating our vote base. Our vote base is intact. We have all along dedicated ourselves for the betterment of our community, beginning from our founder leader Saumiyamoorthy Thondaman to the present leader Arumugam Thondaman. We are continuing to fight for their social and political rights and they know it.

Q: Your comments on the declining tea prices in the world market?

A: This is a global phenomenon that began a decade ago. Prices can fluctuate. The current situation is also partly due to the depreciation of the dollar. We can handle the situation through the Tea Stabilisation Fund but I am sure this will not be major problem after the next two months.