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| Tuesday, 16 March 2004 |
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by Chamikara Weerasinghe The death fast by more than 1,000 CWE employees opposite the Sathosa Headquarters at D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo yesterday was called off following the arrival of Freedom Alliance Secretary Susil Premajayanth and JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa who undertook to maintain Sathosa as a State institution under a Freedom Alliance Government. The strikers were already on a 16-day long fast, against the UNF Government's action to privatise Sathosa. The employees abandoned their death fast after Premajayanth and Weerawansa assured that Sathosa will be vested under State control after the Freedom Alliance comes to power. Seven of the fasting workers had already commenced their death fast when Premajayanth and Weerawansa arrived at the scene. The duo promised to safeguard Sathosa as a Government institution under a Freedom Alliance Government. Weerawansa told workers that Sathosa was established to provide benefits to consumers and under privatisation, consumers would be deprived of such benefits with private owners taking its control. Premajayanth said there was no point in privatising Sathosa considering the job problem because of the existing danger that 1,500 people may lose their jobs as a result of the intended privatisation. Sathosa Workers' Union convenor Upul Samantha commenting on the Sathosa workers' trade union action, said the workers' were fighting against privatisation and deprivation of the workers' rights by the authorities. "Our grievances have been overlooked by Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake despite our repeated requests," he told the Daily News. Commenting on the Voluntary Retirement Scheme introduced to Sathosa workers by the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Ministry, he said workers with less than 10 years in service have been overlooked by this move. |
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