Mattegama Kabool employees seek relief from President

N.M. Abeysinghe Kuliyapitiya Group Correspondent

KULIYAPITIYA: The Mattegama Kabool Lace Factory employees in a petition to the president request him to direct relevant authorities to grant them relief as granted to the Thulhiriya Kabool Lanka, employees. The petition was signed on February 26 which marks completion of two years since the factory was closed.

The petition says: Thulhiriya and Mattegama factories initially owned by the National Textile Corporation were sold out to the Kabool Lanka Company by the UNP Government. The Company authorities closed the Thulhiriya Factory claiming that it sustained losses.

However Mattegama Lace Factory which functioned profitably was also closed down without prior notice on February 26, 2004. The morning shift employees reported for duty have found a notice hanging on the gate which said factory closed temporarily for want of raw materials.

The Company had not credited the EPF contributions deducted from the employees since December 2001 which amounts to Rs. 255 million. Former Finance Minister in the 2005 budget speech promised that the Mattegama Factory would be reopened by January 2006. That promise was not honoured, the petition said.

However after President Rajapakse took office Thulhiriya employees were granted a monthly remuneration of Rs. 4000. That amount will be doubled from March this year according to the news reports. In addition Rs. 950 million had been allocated for a compensation scheme.

"We are glad that 3000 odd Thulhiriya employees won their rights we appeal the President to grant us the same reliefs given to Thilhiriya employees until such times the factory is re-opened, the petition says.