Pulasthi
30th May 2011, 14:01
Today (30) the government of Sri Lanka decided to exclude free trade zone workers from the proposed "pension scheme" which they were to introduce for the workers in the private sector.Workers urge that the proposed pension scheme was not a pension but a trick used by the bankrupt government in order to accumulate worker's savings in order to fulfill the monetary needs of the government.About 30 000 workers in the free trade zones gathered to streets and protested against the government some days back.These zones were established in the 80s in order to attract foreign capital.Workers of the Free trade zones won't enjoy the minimum rights which the other workers have in the country such as the right to form trade unions etc.
( I wanted to post some links about the latest developments regard this issue but the Revleft won't allow me to do so until I reach 25 posts.Sory for that and here is a news article regarding the subject)
Protestors against private pension Bill block Colombo- Katunayake main road
By Nabeela Hussain and W. Hubert Fernando
Factories in the free trade zone in Katunayake were affected yesterday when a majority of their workers staged a walkout in protest against the proposed private sector pension bill.
A large number of workers from the apparel sector walked out after they reported to work and then staged a protest along the Canada Friendship access road to the airport. Later they reached the 18th milepost junction on the Colombo-Katunayake main road compelling many passengers going to the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport to use alternate routes.
The protest continued well into the evening. The protestors raised black flags and shouted slogans against the EPBF. A large contingent of policeman had been deployed under the direction of Negombo SSP Chandana Galappatti to maintain law and order.
The Free Trade Zone Workers Union (FTZWU) said the employees had taken to the streets in Katunayake demanding that the government withdraw the Employee Benefit Pension Fund (EBPF) as they did not want to contribute to it. “Close to 75 per cent of the workers, which means around 20,000 to 25,000 people took part in the protest,” FTZWU Joint Secretary Anton Marcus said.
“We know that the employers were affected by this, because the production would have reduced but our aim was not to sabotage the production process but to show our protest to this proposed scheme,” Mr. Marcus said adding that this was a message and warning to the government and employers of trade union action to come if the bill was to be passed in parliament.Mr. Marcus said this was not a politically motivated action but the protest of the workers irrespective of political party differences.
( I wanted to post some links about the latest developments regard this issue but the Revleft won't allow me to do so until I reach 25 posts.Sory for that and here is a news article regarding the subject)
Protestors against private pension Bill block Colombo- Katunayake main road
By Nabeela Hussain and W. Hubert Fernando
Factories in the free trade zone in Katunayake were affected yesterday when a majority of their workers staged a walkout in protest against the proposed private sector pension bill.
A large number of workers from the apparel sector walked out after they reported to work and then staged a protest along the Canada Friendship access road to the airport. Later they reached the 18th milepost junction on the Colombo-Katunayake main road compelling many passengers going to the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport to use alternate routes.
The protest continued well into the evening. The protestors raised black flags and shouted slogans against the EPBF. A large contingent of policeman had been deployed under the direction of Negombo SSP Chandana Galappatti to maintain law and order.
The Free Trade Zone Workers Union (FTZWU) said the employees had taken to the streets in Katunayake demanding that the government withdraw the Employee Benefit Pension Fund (EBPF) as they did not want to contribute to it. “Close to 75 per cent of the workers, which means around 20,000 to 25,000 people took part in the protest,” FTZWU Joint Secretary Anton Marcus said.
“We know that the employers were affected by this, because the production would have reduced but our aim was not to sabotage the production process but to show our protest to this proposed scheme,” Mr. Marcus said adding that this was a message and warning to the government and employers of trade union action to come if the bill was to be passed in parliament.Mr. Marcus said this was not a politically motivated action but the protest of the workers irrespective of political party differences.