Estate sector Tamils commend President's welfare programs

By P. Krishnaswamy

Former Minister, parliamentarian and veteran trade unionist P.P. Devaraj who is presently the Sri Lankan President of the Global Organisation of the People of Indian Orgin (GOPIO) told the Sunday Observer in an interview that consequent to the defeat of the LTTE terrorist outfit and restoration of peace in the Northern province their organisation was successful in bringing a delegation from Malaysia for studying investments prospects in the province.

P.P. Devaraj

The delegation which comprised business magnates consequently paid several visits signalling likelihoods of investments on corporate ventures. Investment in the war-torn provinces will also be discussed at their International Annual Conference being held at Hotel Galadari and attended by members of the GOPIO in many countries, he said. He also welcomed development programs that were implemented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the welfare of the Indian origin plantation community and expressed his views on the wage increase issue in respect of them.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: The GOPIO is a global organisation having its members in many world nations including in the European countries. Will you as President of the GOPIO Sri Lanka be able to contribute towards promoting trade relations between Sri Lanka and some of those countries and also bringing in investments, especially, to the war-torn Northern and Eastern provinces?

A: Yes. We were successful in bringing a delegation of business leaders from Malaysia some months ago. They visited Jaffna to study prospects of investment. They also visited other parts of the country, including the Eastern province. Consequently they visited Sri Lanka on several occasions. There are all likelihoods that they will invest in corporate ventures. Prospects of investments will also be discussed at the Annual International Conference of the GOPIO now being held at the Hotel Galadari.

Q: You have been in the plantation trade union movement for several decades with a personal knowledge on the important role which the TUs played towards the social and political rights of the plantation community. Your comments on it?

A: Trade Union movements in the plantations were started as far back as 1939 by the LSSP and CP and the workers joined these unions to seek their political, civic and social rights. The Ceylon-India Congress Labour Union was started in 1940 under the then labour law and consequently a large majority of the workers joined it making it a union strong enough to collective bargaining.

They held negotiations not only in relation to the political and civic rights of the workers but also on their wages, housing, water supply, better sanitation and education. At the very inception they had representation in the National State Assembly but they were later disenfranchised and deprived of their political representation. Here again the TU movement played an important role. In 1977 Saumiyamoorthy Thondman got elected from the Nuwara Eliya constituency to represent them. In the consequent elections more of their representatives were elected. Separate Ministries form the plantation workers were created by the SLFP-led PA and the present UPFA Governments.

Under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's UPFA administration several far-reaching development projects, many of them unprecedented in the history of the plantation community, were implemented for improving their economic, social and living conditions. Projects have also been implemented under President Rajapaksa's administration for improving their health, housing, education and employment facilities . I am happy to observe that they are living as equal citizens enjoying all political and civic rights under President Rajapaksa's administration with all hopes of a bright future.

Q: The trade unions representing the plantation community are now in the process of holding discussions with the plantation companies for a new Collective Agreement on better wages to the workers . Your comments about the wage system to the plantation workers?

A: Their wages are not commensurate with the rising Cost of Living (CoL). The plantation workers never got wage increase when employees in the other sectors got salary increase to offset the rising CoL. Their wage system is not a labour-oriented .

The plantation managements are wanting to fix wages in terms of productivity and the profit margin. There is a crisis at present in the whole situation. The workers do not derive job-satisfaction because it is a hard and monotonous work.

The wage system has to be labour-oriented, providing them more leisure, more freedom and more facilities for their cultural and social activities. With the availability of the TV and other technological and communication facilities, their younger generation seeks greener pastures elsewhere.

Q: Do you believe that there has been improvements in their life than what it was during the colonial period?

A: Of course, the situation is totally different in all respects compared to the colonial period. They have better health, educational and housing facilities. The infant mortality rate that was 100 percent has now come down to about 20 -30. But in spite of all these, the plantation community is lagging behind in many respects compared to the other communities. Much more has to be done for their betterment so that they can catch up with the others.

There seems to be a situation of stagnation. The National Action Plan for drastically changing their living condition was approved by the last Cabinet. But the implementation process is being delayed.

Q: According to your assessments are the plantation companies fair by the workers?

A: When the plantation estates were nationalised under the then SLFP-led United Front Government and entrusted to the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) and the State Plantation Corporation (SPC) certain welfare measures with salutary results were introduced by the Government for the plantation workers. The Welfare Unit and the Plantation Trust for the welfare of the workers were set up. The management companies that took over the estates promised to continue these welfare measures. But they never did so.

The Government holds a golden share in the estates. But there is no proper monitoring mechanism over the management of the estates by the plantation companies. There have been complaints about several shortcomings. Some companies have not remitted the EPF and ETF contributions of the workers for a long time.

Q: Can you please outline the activities of the GOPIO on the welfare of the plantation community?

A: In an effort to ensure an adequate representation of the plantation community in parliament and the local government bodies, we formulated a proposal in consultation and discussion with all stakeholders in the plantation sector.

The proposal has been submitted to the Public Administration Ministry for being taken into consideration by the committee for re-demarcation of borders under new electoral reform. Recently there was a call from the Public Administration Ministry on appointing Grama Niladharis in the plantation areas. Seventy Grama Niladharis for the plantation community in the Nuwara Eliya district and thirty in the Badulla district have already been appointed by the UPFA Government. According to their population ratio more have to be appointed. So we have made representation to the Ministry on this.

Q: Did your organisation take up with the Government of India the need for more assistance from them towards improving the health, educational and housing facilities of the plantation community?

A: Housing is one of the major problems in the plantations. India agreed to give 10,000 houses. A study is now being conducted on this. I believe the project will begin soon. India has put up a state-of-the-art hospital in Dickoya for the community.

The completion of the hospital project was delayed because there was some legal problem. That has now been got over and the hospital project will be completed soon. The Government has welcomed Indian assistance for improving the living conditions of the plantation community. In the field of education they are doing many things.

The long-standing Estate Workers' Education Trust gives about 400 scholarships to the plantation students. India provided assistance on teachers' training in the plantation areas. Assistance for improving the performance of plantation students in the A/L exams is also under their consideration. Our organisation is also took up these matters with the Government of India and the Indian High Commission in Colombo from time to time.