News
Minister assures reforms won’t affect workers
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijsekara told Parliament yesterday that reforms meant for the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation were not aimed at laying off existing staff but any new recruitments would be based on a needs/vacancy-based criteria, subject to a revised salary scale,
The Minister said that restructuring of the CPC, in this regard, was necessary.
He said so while responding to a question SLPP dissident MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa who asked if the Minister could guarantee that existing CPC staff would not be removed, under the proposed liberalisation initiative.
Minister Wijesekera said: “We have no plans to remove workers. If workers are efficient and work with discipline, there is more than enough work to be done in this institute, particularly in storage and refinery. These needs exist in the CPC.
“We also have vacancies in areas where workers are needed. There are some areas where there are too many workers. When those people retire, we will hire qualified people as required. That is our plan, it’s not to remove existing staff,” said Minister Wijesekara.
The Minister said the CPC has over 4,000 employees, while the local unit of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has only 150. While Ceypetco runs 1,200 filling stations, he said, LIOC has 254. “This is the reality. We must understand that,” he said.
The problem is not actually the number of workers, but their salary scale, said Wijesekara, noting that all CPC workers are on the same salary scale and that, as a result of a collective agreement, in 2012, every worker is entitled to a 25 percent annual salary increment, with no evaluation. This applies to the Ceylon Electricity Board, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Water Board and other state-owned enterprises.
“There is no problem giving an increment, based on their skills and the work they do. I personally believe that good pay is necessary. A refinery manager, refinery engineer, et al, should be on very good salary scales. LIOC also pays well, but not the same salary for every worker.
“So we must definitely do some restructuring. But we give a guarantee that this is not a move to remove workers. But, in future, the recruitment process must change,” he said.
News
Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis
There are 17 nursing schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media including the postgraduate primary nursing school.
There are 142 vacancies in the posts of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) as on 31.03.2026 in those schools while 24 officers are to be promoted to the special grade on 31.12.2025 owing to the vacancies existing in the post of Special
Grade Nursing Officer (Education). Therefore, the number of vacancies is to be 166.
In addition, there are 24 vacancies in the post of Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).
Although at present action has been taken to upgrade the nursing schools to nursing colleges and upgrade the nursing diploma course to nursing degree course, no action has been taken so far to carry out recruitment for the training relevant to the appointment for the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to recruit retired nursing instructors and nursing instructors who served in the nursing schools belonging to the three armed forces and are retired or have resigned legitimately from service to the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) on contract basis.
Latest News
Signing agreement for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka
It has been decided to establish a BIMSTEC technology transfer facility in Sri Lanka by entering into a Host Country Agreement at the second leaders’ summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in New Delhi, India, in 2008, with the objective of enhancing regional cooperation.
The relevant cooperation agreement was signed by the member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC summit on 30-03-2022 in Colombo.
The prime objective of this technology transfer facility is to provide technology, capacity building, and management of intellectual property for the micro, small, and medium-scale
enterprises of the BIMSTEC member countries.
According to the cooperation agreement, an agreement should be entered into between Sri Lanka, as the host country, and BIMSTEC Secretariat for formalizing the legal status, privileges, and immunities of the technology transfer facility.
The drafted agreement has received the relevant institutional approval and legal clearance.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Science and Technology to sign the proposed agreement.
News
The cabinet approves agreement on mutual legal cooperation in criminal matters between the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea
Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-12-2023 to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka regarding mutual cooperation
in criminal matters.
However, according to the aforementioned approval, the relevant agreement could not be signed between both parties.
Through this agreement, opportunities will be provided
for mutual assistance to other countries in handing over judicial documents and collecting evidence for the use of criminal case matters.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution provided by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate in criminal matters.
Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis
Signing agreement for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka
The cabinet approves agreement on mutual legal cooperation in criminal matters between the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea
Misbah-ul-Haq resigns as Pakistan selector after Test squad upheaval
Amendment of the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance No. 3 of 1897
Cabinet approves donation of USD One Million to the Government of Nepal
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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