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New Bills will kill workers' rights
By Shelani Perera
Opposition leaders have launched a full scale offensive against three proposed labour bills which they see as going against the interest of the working class. Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse and others have called on the government to differ the bills which are to be presented in Parliament on January 7 and review them fully in consultation with trade unions and others.

The bills scheduled to be presented are the Industrial Disputes ( Hearing and Determination of Proceedings) Bill, The Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Bill and the Termination of Employment (Special Provisions Amendment) Bill.

Opposition leaders claim the bills will take away many of the rights and security provisions the workers now have enabling employers to hire and fire without much difficulty.

Mr. Rajapakse along with SLFP trade union veteran Alavi Maulana and former Labour minister John Seneviratne played a major card in their campaign when they met estate unions leaders S. Thondaman and P. Chandrasekeran who are ministers and allies of the government.

Opposition sources said they had pointed out to Mr. Thondaman and Mr. Chandrasekeran how the new bills would even strip estate workers of some of the rights and protection they had now.

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