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JVP roars against broken promises
By Chris Kamalendran
The JVP has launched a series of protests against wasteful expenditure by the state, its failure to halt corrupt deals entered into by previous governments and failing to abolish the proposed compensation formula, as undertaken by the UPFA government.

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) JVP union leader Lakshman Ananda told The Sunday Times the union was strongly opposing the extra expenditure incurred in renovating and upgrading filling stations managed by the CPC. He said the union has brought this matter up at discussions with the management and has called for an immediate halt to this wasteful expenditure.

Mr. Ananda said more than Rs. 600 million had been allocated to upgrade 47 sheds, by the UNF government and the UPFA was continuing with the same budget despite claiming that the CPC was incurring heavy losses.

"One of the sheds in the Kollupitiya area has spent Rs. 10.8 million for its renovation. But the construction work has not been carried out in a proper manner and already a section of the shed close to the tank was sinking", the union leader said.

He said that another shed at Peliyagoda had spent Rs. 10 million while a shed at Matara has spent Rs. 10.5 million on so called renovations. Mr. Ananda said the union had also detected some instances where the local construction companies had obtained payments in full despite not having completed the construction work.

He said that efforts by the UPFA government to privatise the remaining filling stations on the grounds they were suffering losses due to the wasteful expenditure of the previous government appears to continue unabated.

Mr. Ananda said this was happening despite assurance given by UPFA's Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha that the CPC would take steps to stop unnecessary spending.

He said the union had also noted an allocation of Rs. 152 million appearing in this year's CPC budget for 'public relation exhibitions' while another Rs. 196.2 million had been allocated for 'dealer handling charges'. Mr. Ananda said the union had asked the management to investigate these allocations made for this year.

Along with the string of protests launched by the JVP it has a started a fresh protest campaign urging the government to suspend the Serendib Flour Mill project in the Colombo Port, claiming the transaction is illegal.

The JVP affiliated All Ceylon General Ports Employees Union, one of the main unions in the Colombo Port this week wrote to President Chandrika Kumaratunga asking her to issue a directive to halt the ongoing project, until a case filed by the union was completed.

The Union's General Secretary Chandrasiri Mahagamage told The Sunday Times the construction of the flour mill project was in progress and that they wanted government intervention to stop it. He said the union was not satisfied with the response given to its letter by Ports and Aviation Ministry Secretary Ariyaratna Hewage and the Ministry was awaiting a clarification of the issues raised by the Union in its letter.

The union said the transaction, which was finalised during the PA regime of 1994-2000, lacked transparency and was not beneficial to Sri Lanka. It pointed out that according to the agreement, if the port needs to re-acquire the land after the stipulated 10-year period, the government would have to provide alternative land or pay compensation to the tune of Rs. 5,000 million.

The Union said due to the project, other development activities in the port had been held up and this would result in the loss of employment to a large number of Ports Authority employees.

It has pointed out that at present the land allocated for the project had been mortgaged to the Bank of Ceylon as co-lateral for a loan of Rs. 3,500 million, despite an assurance to the government that the principals would invest a sum of US dollars 50 million. The Sunday Times learns that when Trade Union members met Ports Minister Mangala Samaraweera regarding the issue the minister had sought their co operation to end the Prima monopoly on wheat flour.

However the Union had in turn pointed out that the government to end the Prima monopoly should adopt other measures and it should not be at the expense of Ports Authority land. Earlier the UNP affiliated trade union Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) had filed action against the Serendib flour project, but it had subsequently withdrawn the case.

Meanwhile there was also pressure brought on Uva province Governor, Nanda Mathew to withdraw a case he had filed against the same project. Meanwhile the JVP spearheaded a strong protest campaign against the failure of the CPC to grant a salary increase of 23 per cent to the employees, as promised by Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha.

A spokesman for the union told The Sunday Times that though the Minister assured the union that the matter would be taken up at Cabinet level so far no action has been taken to do so. The union was also against the CEB's plans to restructure the management, as it believed the move would result in losses and eventually lead to the CEB being privatised.

The spokesman said on Monday the union would decide as to whether it should launch a token strike or carry out a sick note campaign as a means of compelling the government to implement the salary increases proposed by the minister.

The JVP unions are also protesting the government's decision 7to amend the proposed compensation formula when laying off workers, instead of totally scrapping the plan.

The JVP members also held a protest opposite the Fort Railway station against the dismissal of 595 Bata company employees and the police assault on the employees who protested against their termination. The JVP unions are demanding the immediate reinstatement of the Bata employees.

JVP sources said the party was planning to raise a range of other issues with the government, in the event the government failed to fulfill its promises.

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