Letters to the Editor

Your View...

Dear reader, the Sunday Observer welcomes your letters. Letters should be brief, legible and contain the name, address and contact number of the writer. Mail your letters to: 'Letters', The Sunday Observer, 35, D.R.Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10. Email: [email protected]

Handwritten copies should be duly signed.

CBEU Vs Govt

Going through the December 16, 2015, news headlines, I was not so surprised to see the Ceylon Bank Employees Union engaging in a protest campaign opposite the Fort Railway Station on the previous day.

Being an ex bank employee and a General Councillor of the CBEU from early 1970s, I thought of allocating bit of time with my experience with the CBEU and later with the JSS working committee member.

The reason why they protested for is something they should have taken up some years ago. As reported, these funds have been robbed systematically by the previous regime and the CBEU were only the saviours of these funds. They now want to say these Superannuation funds under the government is much secure than its being managed by private sector.

It was common knowledge the EPF and ETF were on the verge of collapse under the government's control during Rajapaksa regime.

Historically, the CBEU only thought of themselves. In 1972, CBEU President Oscar Pereira and Secretary Sivasubramaniam who were politically opposed to Dr. N.M. Perera got the bank employees to stage a general strike for 108 days. This paved the way for the government to recruit their henchmen under the pretext of having government faithfuls to run the banks in case of a showdown. The CBEU in calling off the strike passed a resolution at the general council that 'we as a trade union will openly work in the Yatiyantota electorate to defeat NM Perera at the next general election.'

In the height of the campaign against Felix and the government by the CBEU, we as young general councillors (we were known by seniors within the GC as the Ginger Group) were in the forefront of a picketing campaign and a work-to-rule organised by the CBEU which faced pressure from government supporters within the rank and file to sabotage it and had to resist by keeping the picket line in tact, preventing Chairman, Gamini Wickramanayake reporting to work for a few days in a row.

I noticed Ranil Wickremesinghe (whom I knew as a fellow Royalist only) approaching the trouble spot in front of the Bank of Ceylon Head Office, where I was leading the picket line at the time. He indicated to me that he was interested in our action and that he wanted to talk to me. I met him near the GOH entrance (then Taprobane) and we went inside the hotel lobby, got an account of the ground situation, saying that he was taking the information to the leader of the UNP and Opposition Leader JR Jayewardene.

That day I realised the present leader of the UNP and the Prime Minister today would one day be a leader who would do the needful when the need arose.