The Government was yesterday accused of dragging its feet over compensation payments to thousands of workers who have been laid-off since the global economic melt down began almost a year ago, trade union officials said yesterday.
An estimated 80,000 or more workers mainly from the apparel sector have been laid off since the crisis begun but the authorities have been very slow with a relief package although several promises had been made, Mr. Palitha Athukorale with the Progressive Union told the Sunday Times.
“At the last meeting of the National Labour Advisory Council the authorities pledged to pay, for a period of one year, 50 per cent of the last salary drawn by those who have been terminated by their employers.
The monthly wage of a worker is something like Rs. 9,000 and even half of this amount which is a mere Rs. 4,500 is not forthcoming from the authorities,” Mr. Athukorale said.
“The authorities intend to dip into the EPF funds to make this compensation. So there is no shortage of monies but still the delay continues owing to bureaucratic red tape,” he said.
Meanwhile it is learnt that a large number of unscrupulous employers were using the global crisis to cut down on basic facilities for their workers.
This includes even canteen and travel incentives while in some cases even drinking water has been rationed, said Ms. Ashila Mapalagama, a spokesperson for ‘Stand Up’ a movement fighting for the rights of workers in the apparel industry.
She said the most affected area was the Hambantota district where some four factories had already closed down and retrenchment of workers was occurring on a daily basis in the remaining companies.
Some 2,000 workers have already lost their jobs in the area, Ms. Mapalagama further said.
Labour Ministry Secretary Mahinda Madihewa admitted that there were some delays in doling out the compensation to the affected workers because there were standard procedures to be adhered to before this could be done.
“We are still in the process on gathering information on the exact number of persons who have lost their employment and thereafter the matter will have to be forwarded to the Cabinet for approval,” he said.
In addition we are also awaiting the arrival of a team from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which will carry out its own research in this regard and make certain recommendations,” Mr. Madihewa further said. He added that the trade unions had repeatedly bloated the number of persons who have lost their jobs.
“The figure is around 40, 000 or even less but not more,” he said. |
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