Salary anomalies of wildlife officers rectified

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Salary anomalies of the Wildlife Range Assistants and Guards were rectified with the intervention of the Wildlife Ministry and Department officials ending the work-to-rule campaign of the Range Assistants' and Guards' trade unions.

These wildlife officers launched a work-to-rule campaign on September 2 until authorities solved the problem. "Following discussions with the National Salaries and Cadres Commission it was agreed to promote the Wildlife Range Assistants and Guards to the Management Service level (MN) salary category," Wildlife and Agrarian Services Minister S.M. Chandrasena said addressing the media.

The Wildlife and Agrarian Services Ministry held a special press conference at the Wildlife Conservation Department Auditorium to brief the media on the administration changes agreed upon.

"These anomalies were a prolonged issue and with the consideration of Minister Chandrasena the problem was solved," said H. D. Ratnayake, Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department (DWC). "These officers were on a low salary scale for a long time even before the Public Administration Circular in 2006 came into effect restructuring the Government salaries.

The final solution will be when these people get the corrected salaries," he said.

According to Ratnayake the DWC hopes to rectify the anomalies in the Department's administration system. "I'm grateful for the Trade Unions for their decision to launch the campaign after the national elephant survey held recently," he said.