Ministry to review controversial circular

BY UDITHA Kumarasinghe

THE Pubic Administration and Home Affairs Ministry has decided to assess problems arising from the 01/2006 circular dated 12.01.2006 issued by the Ministry to amend the State sector salary anomalies as proposed in 2006 Budget proposals.

After discussing this issue with the National Administrative Council, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama will discuss with the Government Employees Trade Union Federation to reach a solution acceptable to all parties within three weeks, a Ministry spokesman told the Daily News yesterday.

Amunugama following a discussion with the Government Employees Trade Union Federation said that in case the Ministry has to review salary anomalies thus delaying the payment of salaries, arrears will be paid to the public servants with effect from the date on which this salary anomaly has been defined.

Federation representatives also agreed to the request by Amunugama which called for a wide study on nearly 14 proposals made by them to streamline the public service before the next meeting with them.

Among the 14 proposals submitted to the Minister are providing relief and promotions to public servants who were politically victimised after the 1980 general strike.

It has also been proposed to overcome the difficulties faced in making employees permanent under the Management circular No.16 on casual, substitute, temporary and contract basis.

The federation has also highlighted the importance of restoring the pension rights of public servants and inducting the basic technical service into the State service. They have requested that railway clerks be absorbed into the State management assistant service.

Attention has also been focused on the Agrahara Insurance Scheme proposed by the 2006 budget and the shortcomings of the previous circular issued in this regard.