Private sector employees and estate workers were able to obtain leave of one to one-and-a-half days and vote in large numbers because of effective action taken by the Elections Commissioner, the Human Rights Commission and the Labour Department, officials said. Labour unions said the high voter turnout in the estate areas and other districts was [...]

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Lakhs of youth workers given voting leave

Estate unions and youth movements now call for laws to uphold this civic right
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Private sector employees and estate workers were able to obtain leave of one to one-and-a-half days and vote in large numbers because of effective action taken by the Elections Commissioner, the Human Rights Commission and the Labour Department, officials said.

Labour unions said the high voter turnout in the estate areas and other districts was largely due to the measures which enable them to obtain voting leave without difficulty.

Deputy Election Commissioner, M. M. Mohamed said the Election Commissioner had in consultation with the HRC and the Labour Department issued a gazette notification ordering private sector employers to grant voting leave of to all employees, including minor staff.

He said the order was issued after the Elections Commissioner, the HRC, the Labour Department and other authorities had received complaints from trade unions that some private sector and estate-sector employees were finding it difficult to get voting leave.

He said that earlier many of these workers did not complain, apparently for fear of losing their jobs, but this time they had made complaints.
The Deputy Commissioner said that steps would be taken to introduce a hotline for any employee to complain even via SMS if the employer did not give voting leave.

Mr. Mohammed said that according to new regulations, employees who worked within a radius of 40 km from their polling booth should be given half a day’s leave; those working within 41-100 km from the polling booth should be given one day’s leave; 101-150 km, one and a half day’s leave and if more than that, two days’ leave

He said the department hoped both employees and employers would cooperate in upholding this fundamental right of workers to cast their votes.
Savumia Youth Foundation Chairman S. P. Anthonymuthu said they were particularly happy that upcountry youth living and working in Colombo were given leave to vote because of the measures taken by the Elections Commissioner and other authorities.

He said the movement would press for legislation to uphold the right of voting leave for 500,000 youth workers around the country.

He said that earlier most of the estate youths working in factories, popular supermarkets, hotels, security services and other companies had been denied their right of voting leave.

He said one youth had telephoned the movement and cried with joy saying that this was the first time he had cast his vote because he had been given leave by his employer.

Mr. Anthonymuthu said some hotels and factories had given upto one-and-a-half-day’s leave to the workers to go and cast their votes but it was no pay leave.

He said meditation campaigns would be held by the movement in Colombo to urge the government to introduce legislation for fully-paid voting leave.

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