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| Friday, 25 April 2003 |
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TUs call off work-to-rule campaign By Channa Kasturisinghe Trade Unions of the Customs, Inland Revenue and Excise Departments have decided not to go ahead with the work-to-rule campaign following an assurance given by Finance Ministry Secretary, Charitha Ratwatte that the Government would discuss with the trade unions before gazetting the final Bill on the establishment of the Revenue Authority of Sri Lanka. The representatives of the trade unions and the heads of the three departments yesterday met the Treasury Secretary at the Ministry to discuss the draft bill on the proposed Revenue Authority. The Trade Unions on Wednesday took sick-note action in protest of the Draft Bill claiming that the Bill was prepared without consulting them. The trade unions also announced that they would carry out a work-to-rule campaign if a satisfactory response was not given by the Government to their demand. The Convenor of the Joint Union Front Vipula Minuwanpitiya told the Daily News that based on the assurance by the Finance Ministry Sectretary they decided not to go ahead with the work-to-rule campaign. According to sources the Ministry will appoint a committee chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Finance consisting of three heads of Revenue Departments and three others to discuss the proposed legal framework for setting up the Revenue Authority. The Unions will be able to immediately submit their objections to the nominees. The Ministry team will use the most recent draft to the Revenue Authority Bill as a basis of discussion. It was revealed that the Government has agreed that the Bill will be gazetted only after consultations with the Unions, in late May 2003. Meanwhile, the importers had suffered losses due to the sick-note action by the customs employees on Wednesday due to cargo being held up at the Colombo port. However, in response to a request by the Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Chairman M.S.M Niyas the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has agreed to consider waiving off additional demurrage and extending the rent free period of shipments till yesterday. He had made the same request from the South Asia Gateway Terminals. "We regret to bring to your notice that no cargo deliveries could be effected today due to Customs sick note action. We re-started taking deliveries of cargo after the usual National New Year holidays and accumulation of cargo during this period. Moreover, April 21 was declared a bank holiday," stated a letter sent by the ACFA Chairman to the two institutions. Chairman of the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries Ranjith Hettiarachchi told the Daily News most local industrialists import their raw materials and other inputs for the manufacture of their products and as a result of the trade union action they had to face heavy losses. "The present work-to-rule campaign by the Customs officials is affecting all industrialists as their production is dependent on the timely delivery of imported raw material. They have already face difficulties with the escalation in cost of power, fuel, transport and communication. The ongoing work-to-rule campaign by the Customs officials would be an added burden which certainly affect them adversely. It would not only increase their cost of production having to pay demurrage on their imports for no fault of theirs, but also affect their production schedules and delivery schedules," Hettiarachchi said. |
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