SLT workers vow to picket demanding annual bonus    

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) workers will launch an agitation campaign from Monday if the top management fails to fullfill their demands by tomorrow (Friday 14), trade unions of the telecom provider warned.
Reasons behind the present deterioration of the company have been brought to the notice of the top management but no action was taken to remedy the situation by the Chairman and CEO during the past few years, a leader of the Telecommunication Engineers Union (TEU) said. 
He said that the SLT workers and consumers have become frustrated owing to the lethargic attitude and arbitrary actions of the management.
The SLT management has slashed the annual bonus and increments of workers citing financial difficulties, he said adding that the Chairman, CEO and top officials should bear the responsibility for dragging the profit-making telecom giant into an abyss of losses.
At a recent meeting with the SLT Chairman, the trade union representatives have put forward several demands including the granting of a sum of Rs.100,000 each in addition to the slashed bonus to all employees and restore their 10 per cent annual salary increment, he disclosed.
They also demanded the authorities to extend their age of retirement up to 60 years without asking them to submit their requests for extensions.
SLT Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe has promised to provide a favourable reply for their demands on Friday, a trade union leader said adding that if he fails to fulfill his pledge, then all employees will launch a picketing campaign opposite SLT head office in Colombo on Monday.
Replying to trade union allegations, the outgoing CEO Dileepa Wijesundera told the Business Times although the SLT has made an annual net profit, it has recorded a loss after tax and therefore the company was not in a position to pay annual bonus to employees. 
He pointed out that the SLT has made massive investments in telecom upgrading projects in 2014 and 2016 without phasing out those projects. 
This has resulted in a massive Rs.11 billion depreciation  for the company and it was unbearable, he said adding that he has suggested a modern restructuring programme to regain the momentum of the company but unfortunately it has not materialised. (Bandula)