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CMC cadre issue to be decided on Monday
View(s):The Western Provincial Council (WPC) will hold a special meeting on Monday to take a decision on the controversial cadre requirement at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC).
WPC Chief Secretary Jayanthi Wijetunge told the Sunday Times that officials of the Department of Management Services (DMS) which is under the Finance Ministry as well as officials of the Salaries and Cadre Commission, the Commissioners of the WPC and the CMC will attend the meeting.
“The meeting is to come to a conclusion with regard to the cadre recommendation. This meeting was called to convince the DMS on the necessity of retaining certain posts but it is the Treasury that would take the final decision,” she said. She said the Municipal Commissioner Badrani Jayawardena has submitted the recommendations made by a special committee headed by Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Engineering Services) G. G. Weerakkody.
Initially the DMS stated to reduce the number of the cadre from 12,121 to 8,645 triggering protests by surprised employees over the decision to reduce 3,476 employees. Colombo Municipal Secretary H.D.C. Janaki said when the Council met it was decided to accommodate union requests.
“It is very difficult to accommodate the changes requested by the Council and the union and the Municipal Council cannot take any decisions. That is the reason we decided to consult the Chief Secretary of the Western Province,” she said.
The committee has recommended to reduce about 586 employees, making it 11, 535.
“We have also taken the union requests into consideration,” Mr.Weerakkody said. UPFA CMC member Mahinda Kahandagama said there is displeasure among employees, from labourers to administrative officers, over this.
“Many transfers are taking place, some even without the department head’s knowledge. Unfortunately, they were those who criticised the recommendations,” he said.
He said there are 27 unions, but none has been requested to be present at the meeting to discuss the cadre system.
“Colombo is now seeing a massive development and needs more input from employees,”Councillor Kahandagama said.
“There are about 12,000 employees with a majority against the proposal of the DMS and if it is to be implemented, there will be major trade union action,” he said.
The previous recommendation by the DMS was to reduce the number of employees attached to the Public Health Department from 1,190 to 949. According to sources, the required cadre at present is 1355. The recommendation by the DMS was also to cut down the number in the Municipal Engineer’s Department from 7454 to 4652.
A cut was recommended in the Municipal Treasurer’s Department, with 327 employees to be down to 323, but the required number stands at 350.
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