|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 13 April 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Rights of estate workers will not be put at risk - Minister Kiriella by P. Krishnaswamy Minister of Plantation Industries, Lakshman Kiriella, on Thursday refuted trade union allegations that the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) were putting at risk the rights and welfare of the workers in their bid to sub-lease sections of the plantation estates to private parties, and assured them that the interests of the workers will be protected under the existing Collective Agreement between the trade unions and the companies. Dismissing trade union assumptions as 'unfounded', he said that only the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) had leased out some of its estates to private parties, and pointed out that there was not a single instance where the interests of the workers had been overlooked. The Minister said that since thirty per cent of estate lands are bare, arrangements were being made to either lease or sub-lease them in order to enhance both crop productivity and employment opportunities. But he added that since the government possessed both a 'Golden Share' of the estates and ownership of the lands, it was necessary for the companies to get the approval of the government before sub-leasing estates. Meanwhile, major trade unions of the plantation have expressed reservations and their leaders have vowed vehemently to protest against such moves and resort to TU action if necessary. Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) Deputy President, M. S. Sellasamy, told the "Sunday Observer" that "it was ridiculous to hand over estates to private owners claiming that the JEDB, SPC and the management companies are unable to run them profitably". The moves to hand over the estates to private parties will pose a major threat to the workers and the estates themselves in the course of time, he warned. President of the pro-UNP Lanka Jathika Estate Workers' Union (LJEWU), Rajah Senaviratne, expressing similar views said: "We want to discuss the welfare of the workers and the future of the estates before any decisions are taken". Deputy President of the Joint Federation of Plantation Trade Unions (JFPTU), O.A.Ramiah, said that "neither the Government nor the management companies have the right to transfer estates, and the estate workers to private owners which would ultimately reduce the workers to 'bonded-labourers'". Minister of Community Development and leader of the Up-country People's Front (UPF), P. Chandrasekaran, said that the agreements relating to the changeover of estates focused mainly on the estate properties and not on the workers' rights. Welfare and rights of the workers would be at stake under private parties unlike under the RPCs, he said. Instead of thinking in terms of revenue from the plantations, the Government should consider the workers' welfare, he said. Their union has taken up this issue with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Plantation Industries Minister, he said. The plantations were nationalised in 1972 by the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government and the management of the estates were given to the JEDB and the SPC under the Land Reform Act. In 1992, the UNP Government handed over the management of the estates to 22 companies for five years while retaining 100 per cent of the shares. In 1995, the Chandrika Bandaranaike government leased the estates to the management companies for varying periods ranging from 35 to 50 years, retaining a "Golden Share" of 20 per cent while allocating 10 per cent of the shares to the estate workers and selling the rest to the public. The JEDB and SPC still maintain about 50 estates while the rest are controlled by the management companies. The management companies have urged the Government to extend the lease period to 90 years. However, the lands covering the plantations are still owned by the Government. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
