On President’s directive:

Benefits for over 50,000 private sector workers

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Over 50,000 workers in the labour force in the private sector, who lost employment due to the prevailing global economic crisis will be paid financial benefits by the Government under a special ‘Unemployment Benefit Insurance Scheme’ on a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Under the scheme, each worker will be paid between Rs. 4,000 - Rs. 12,000 for two years, commencing September this year.

According to the rules and regulations of the salary scheme, workers who had worked less than 180 days at a monthly remuneration of less than Rs. 20,000 are entitled to the insurance scheme.

However, the applicants under the scheme should be contributors to the EPF/ETF with a minimum of one-year service immediately prior to termination.

Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne told the Sunday Observer that the workers who are entitled to receive salaries under this new scheme should register themselves at the Labour Secretariat, Narahenpita when the date of registration is made in due course.

He said the scheme has been activated through the Labour Department’s Jobs Net program and further details of the new financial benefit scheme will be revealed later.