Creating cordial working environment:

Employees Councils to boost productivity

By L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Employees participation in administration will not only ensure and enhance their skills and efficiency but also will help in the development of the economy, said National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

He was addressing a seminar on establishing employees councils in his ministry, held at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute. He said that in order to bring about major changes in the administration of the public institutions to suit the need of our country an appropriate methodology should be devised. This is a major challenge which we face today, he said.

The excerpts of the speech delivered by Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

"It is an accepted and acknowledged fact that the three-decades war is over. In fact, a unitary form of government has been set up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, due to his farsighted vision, mission and determination resulting in peace and unity in Sri Lanka.

The paramount importance and immediate need of the country at this crucial period is to take all possible steps to expedite economic development.

Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara

Ministry Secretary Malkanthi Wickramasingha.

It is vital to increase the productivity by reducing wastages in all ministries, departments, State corporations and statutory boards. This is a very important matter.

In order to enhance the goodwill of employees in public institutions there should be a change in the minds and hearts of the employees towards the institution in which they are employed.

Very often severe criticisms of shortcomings in public institutions are made inside and outside the Parliament. But it is regretted to note that any solution or proposal has not been made yet.

Senior Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana

Senior Minister DEW Gunasekera

It is a well-known fact that a large number of Employee Councils had been established in five ministries and their corporations during the 1970 under the United Left Front Government. They had achieved successful result.

Very effective Employee Council functioned in the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB). The Railway Department and number of corporations including the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation under the Ministry of Industries. This was focussed at the National Conference of Employee Councils held in 1975 at the BMICH.

The commencement of activities to establish Employee Councils in the National Languages and Social Integrations Ministry is the result of the consistent support given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Senior Minister Professor Tissa Vitharana while addressing the seminar said that all strata of the society should have similar rights and benefits to achieve the development targets.

He said that setting up employees councils will help promote and cultivate interrelationship and cooperation between employers and employees and also identify their drawbacks and reducing corruption in institutions.

He said in the 1970s under the Minister of Transport Leslie Gunawardena Employees Councils were set up in the Railway Department.

The employees council of the Railway Department introduced the present system of providing electricity from the engine to all compartments.

When it was proposed the then Railway administration considered that system as in practical, the minister said.

Prof. Vitharana further said the people's participation is very essential for the progress and success of developmental activities as well as day-to-day administration of the institutions.

We should work unitedly to establish a Sri Lankan society and should rise above narrow regionalism.

All Sri Lankans irrespective of race, creed and caste should learn Sinhalese and Tamil and as well as international languages such as English, Chinese, French and German to enable everyone to become international citizens.

Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera said that employees councils system is undoubtedly a practical, pragmatic and realistic solution to the serious drawbacks confronted by the present public sector.

As the chairman of the Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE) series of malpractices and corruption in Government corporations and institutions have been brought to light and that this situation should be addressed immediately, he said.

The Director of Employees Councils operations of the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration Piyadasa Ratnapala said that the National Conference at the Bandaranaike Conference Hall in 1975 with the participation of representatives of employees councils were able to achieve tremendous benefits.

He said that the golden era of the Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) was in 1970s under the chairmanship of Anil Munasingha.

The Employees Council of the CTB played a key role for its success at that period. The ticket issuing machine which was imported from Switzerland had been manipulated by certain CTB workers and it was detected by the employees council, Ratnapala said.

Secretary to the National Languages and Social Integration Minister Malkanthi Wickramasinghe said that the intention of the Ministry is to enhance productivity of all Governmental Institutions and to create cordial relationship among workers of all ranks by setting up employees councils.