FSP to crank up union action until govt, fulfils promises to workers

By Anuradha Hiripitiyage

The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday said it would carry out a series of trade union action this month to force the government to fulfil its promises to the workers, FSP Propaganda Secretary, Duminda Nagamuwa told The Island yesterday.

Nagamuwa said the government had promised to increase the daily wage of estate workers to Rs. 1,000, confirm the recently recruited development officers in service and increase teacher salaries. The FSP would continue labour agitation until the demands were granted, he added.

“The government makes a lot of promises. It promised to give 100, 000 jobs and increase the daily wage of estate workers in March 2020. But it has reneged on its promises. The government has also made policy blunders that have adversely affected the factory workers and farmers.

“The MCC agreement has fallen through, but the government is rapidly opening up land for large scale private companies. Land laws were being relaxed and small farmers have been reduced to penury as a result.

“Steps are being taken to sell our land to foreign companies. Successive governments have sold all our assets and now only land is left to be sold. There is no plan to extricate the country from the debt trap.”

Nagamuwa also said that the government had distracted people from its proposals to increase the retirement age of the private sector to 60. The aim of the government was to delay EPF withdrawals for a few years.

“This shows how desperate they are. EPF funds have been continuously misused to bridge budget deficits. The interest rate paid to the workers is coming down. We need to educate the people on these developments.”