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500 fishermen lose work on S.Korean trawlers as SLFEB blocks Fisheries Ministry
Sri Lanka has lost 500 job opportunities for fishermen in South Korea, as the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) blocked the Fisheries Ministry from fulfilling contracts. The National Fisheries Federation Secretary Premasiri Perera told the Sunday Times yesterday that the Korean National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives wanted 500 young persons to work along with Korean nationals on trawlers.
However, Mr. Perera said that the SLFEB had ruled that the Federation had no powers to recruit, and hence, not able to send the prospective applicants. Fisheries Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne told the Sunday Times that it was good offer, as they were originally looking for 2,500 persons with an initial batch of 500.
“The Foreign Employment Ministry is demanding that the quota be given to it to carry out the recruitment,” he said.
He said these jobs were being granted under a special category where the applicants do not need to undergo a language test.
However, SLFEB Deputy General Manager Mangala Randeniya told the Sunday Times that the Fisheries Ministry or affiliated organisations do not have the mandate to recruit persons for overseas employment.
“We have asked the Fisheries Federation to give us the opportunity to recruit, but they are refusing,” he said.
The Sunday Times learns that this job quota is to be now offered to Indonesia or Vietnam.