SLFP Governments pioneered employment drives - Minister D. M. Jayaratne

BY L.B. Wijayasiri in Kandy

POSTS and Telecommunications and Udarata Development Minister D.M. Jayaratne said in Kandy recently that it was the SLFP Governments which provided jobs to unemployed graduates and no other Government gave jobs to them.

When other Governments in power unemployed graduates and those who were graduated from universities subsequently had to wait for years idling at their homes until the SLFP was returned to power to get jobs. That had been the history of employing graduates in Sri Lanka.

Minister made those observations at the official distribution of letters of appointment to graduate trainees absorbed into the permanent cadres in departments and units under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Udarata Development.

The event took place at the Kandy Postal Complex Auditorium recently.

He added that 42,000 unemployed graduates were provided jobs in the Government sector on the directive of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. They were first employed as graduate trainees and would gradually be absorbed into the permanent cadre.

Those who are recruited to the public service will not be made permanent at once. First they would be taken in on probation and after the completion of the probation period they would be made permanent.

Absorbing them into the permanent cadre would be delayed because the procedure has to be followed. Yet they all would be made permanent and that was the desire of President Kumaratunga and Her Government, added Minister Jayaratne.

Making an appeal to the new recruits to work honestly, sincerely and enthusiastically so that they could be of service to society and to themselves. Minister Jayaratne advised them not to be misled by those who wanted to go on strikes and agitation campaigns, which had become a menace.

Launching of strikes and protest campaigns was not wrong. It was the democratic right of working people. But going on strikes for everything would not help win their demand.

That type of attitude on the part of employees would only result in ruining the economy, thus devaluing what they won. If they won an increase of Rs. 1000 the real value becomes much less due to the devaluation of the economy caused by loss of productivity". Trade Union actions should be a last resort, he said.