CWC firmly behind President and UPFA - Muthu Sivalingam

by P. Krishnaswamy

Deputy Minister of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development and President of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) Muthu Sivalingam told the Sunday Observer in an interview that their decision to become a UPFA ally during the last Parliamentary elections in 2004 was prompted by their confidence in President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his genuine commitment towards the socio-economic welfare of the plantation community. The President, true to his assurance, introduced several far reaching development programs which are unprecedented for the socio-economic uplift of the impoverished plantation community.

These development programs were introduced and implemented in terms of the Mahinda Chintana- Ediri Dekma (extended version). The programs were implemented in coordination with the CWC and other UPFA allies in the plantation sector, Sivalingam said.

For all programs envisaged for the benefit of their community under the Mahinda Chintana - Ediri Dekma (extended version) to be continued unimpaired, political parties, trade unions, business community, academics, professionals and the educated youth from the community should extend their undivided support to the UPFA in the upcoming parliamentarty elections instead of being carried away by unrealistic and false assurances of persons who have nothing in common with the community but entered politics with their personal agenda, the CWC President said.

Excerpts

Q: Your vision and plans as CWC President for the welfare of the plantation community?

A: CWC is committed to win the political rights and fulfil the aspirations of the plantation community , to raise their socio-economic standards in par with the other communities of the country and fully merge them in the national mainstream through the establishment of plantation villages, in place of the present plantation estate system, with all infrastructure and other facilities. We became an ally of the UPFA led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa because they fully supported these objectives.

Under the vision of Mahinda Chintana, the UPFA Government allocated huge funds aimed at improving the living conditions of the plantation community, provided infrastructure, including concreted roads and electricity, better housing facilities, employment opportunities in the estate sector to the educated youths, improved mail delivery facilities and much more.

More funds are to be allocated and this process will continue uninterrupted in the next seven years of President Rajapaksa’s tenure.

The far-reaching National Action Plan (NAP) for the plantation people at a cost of Rs. 100 billion, phased over a period of ten years and funded mainly by the UNDP, will also be completed within that period with the anticipated transformation of the plantation estates into plantation villages with all facilities including modern housing units and business centres.

For these benefits to reach the community, they should unite in extending their undivided support to the UPFA in the upcoming General Elections instead of being carriedd away by unrealistic assurances of ‘outside’ invididuals who are totally new to the plantations, working on their personal agenda and who want to keep plantation workers trapped into illusive hopes.

The precarious situation that the Indian origin plantation community in Malaysia experienced will become imminent if the workers fail to realise the hazards of taking the words of such individuals for granted.

Q: Do you think that the UPFA under President Rajapaksa will continue its development programs for the plantation community in spite of their seemingly deviating support to President Rajapaksa in the January 26 Presidential Poll?

A: The assumption that the plantation workers deviated in their support to President Rajapaksa in the January 26 Presidential Poll is incorrect.

In the Nuwara Eliya electoral district the majority votes polled by the UNP eroded to 29,000 as against 150,000 in the previous Presidential Poll.

It is the same in the case of several other planttion electoral districts, including in Badulla.

During the last four years of his office, President Rajapaksa has clearly demonstrated in deeds his desire and commitment towards the welfare of the community. We are certain that all envisaged development programs for the community will continue to be implemented and the President has assured it.

In the last four years 12,230 independent/twin housing units were constructed at an expenditure of Rs. 845.6 million; 765 kilometres of new roads were constructed at a cost of Rs. 1,400 million; 100 electricity supply projects were implemented at an expenditure of 135 million benefiting 15,000 families; 87 water supply schemes were implemented at an expenditure of Rs. 63 million benefiting 8,700 families; 482 schools were constructed/renovated at an expenditure of Rs. 725 million; 24 socio-cultural projects were implemented at an expenditure of Rs. 62 million; and 38 health facility projects were implemented at an expenditure of Rs. 30 million. All these are ongoing projects with anticipated fund allocations in the coming years.

Q: There is a general complaint that in the election campaign in the run up to the Presidential poll, there was no coordination between the CWC and other allies of the UPFA in the plantation areas, unlike the UNF whose candidates and supporters belonging to different constituent parties jointly conducted their campaigns. Your comments?

A: The CWC is a well established organisation with a long history of championing the rights and aspirations of the community. Similarly as in previous elections, the CWC conducted its campaigns vigorously in all plantation areas.

Q: Is it correct to say that information on the development programs for their socio-economic uplift as envisaged in the Mahinda Chintana and its extended version and the process of their phased implementation had not fully reached the community?

A: That is not correct. They are aware of it. But they may have been swayed away by the unrealistic election promises of opposition candidates, includinbg the Rs. 500 wage increase. The last wage increase of Rs. 405 offered to the workers under the Collective Agreement was the optimum possible increase considering the long term sustainability of the industry and the fluctuating tea prices in the world market.

Q: Some Trade Unions in the opposition camp have stated that the workers were not being offered work on an adequate number of days and, as a result, they are having a hard time.

A: This is a baseless statement; 300 days work in a year and 25 days in a month was agreed to by the Regional Management Companies under the Collective Agreement.

As far as we are aware this is being adhered to in almost all estates.

We have not received any complaints saying that this is not being done. But there may be a few estates where this may happen.

But we have information that workers take the freedom of not turning up for work on a number of days in a month for personal/family reasons.