News
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.”
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
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