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We did our utmost for working class - Janaka Bandara Tennakoon

The PA Government resolved labour disputes by consensus and what ever the disputes that arose during the last seven years, have been resolved to the good employer-employee relationships.

There have been a large number of facilities which have been given to migrant workers which include: education facilities such as scholarships for their children. There have been 5114 such scholarships given to the value of Rs. 90.9 million.

Among the welfare schemes that have been provided for these families of migrant workers have been health clinics which have been held in the Districts of Anuradhapura, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara and Kandy Districts.

There have been training schemes which have been made compulsory for these workers and training facilities have been afforded to 197,725 people.

There is also another programme which has been for the creation of facilities for expatriate women who arrive/ depart from the airport.

They did only lip service - Joseph Michael Perera

What has the PA done for the labour sector? This is the only question that is on the minds and the lips of the UNP. The much publicised Workers' Charter also did not come through.

If there was any party that has looked after the interests of the labour and the working class, it was the UNP. It was the UNP Governments that amended the EPF Act and provided housing loans to the poor and hundreds of houses were built during that time. It was we who initiated the gratuity payment schemes where for every five years worked, an employee got half a month's payment.

The Employers Trust Fund was created by us and at the time we handed over the Government, its interest was 14 per cent, which has now reduced to 7 per cent.

The PA and its Cabinet of Ministers ruined the ETF and filled it with their political cronies. They were paid from the contributions of members.

We provided a series of benefits to the working class and that includes the surgical and the health insurance and also the Grade Five Scholarship schemes for children of workers.

Today, how can the Government talk about labour relations when all the factories are gradually closing down ? Even all the workers of the CTB have all been ruined.

The Government has employed all workers on contract and they can be dismissed without any notice. This is a very unfair situation to be in.

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