SLT workers including CEOs threaten work stoppage if demands not met
View(s):A sizable section of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) employees, including CEOs and other senior management, is threatening a work stoppage if a plan to make permanent 2000 temporary workers is not withdrawn, union leaders said.
These employees who account for 90 per cent of the workforce are saying they would go ahead with the trade union action if the government goes ahead with the plan to transform 2000 temporary workers of Human Capital Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of SLT, to a permanent status. The plan is part of a proposal in the 2015 budget to make permanent temporary workers who have completed 180 days in their current job.
Several trade unions including the Telecommunication Engineers Union along with the SLFP union sent a letter to Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya on Friday informing him that if the government takes a hasty decision to make 2000 temporary workers permanent it will definitely affect the financial stability of the company.
It will also affect the job security of over 6,000 SLT permanent employees aggravating internal conflicts.
Union officials noted that most of the temporary workers had been recruited by Human Capital Solutions Ltd without considering their qualifications and other necessary requirements of the SLT. Due to poor management of this subsidiary company the SLT is facing serious problems in obtaining services from this manpower company, they revealed.
A senior official of the SLT told the Business Times that this issue will be brought to the notice of the President tomorrow during a top level meeting which will be attended by CEO SLT Lalith De Silva and senior SLT officials at Temple Trees in Colombo.
SLT trade unions warned that they will resort to a work stoppage and it will result in serious consequences.