Medical doctors, including Nurses and Attendants, Para-medical
employees drawing pensionable-salaries have become notorious strikers to
gain benefits, holding the innocent poor patients as their hostages.
Capitalist private bus owners, and Railway pensionable workers have
become infamous strikers holding daily travellers as hostages preventing
them from attending to their duties, jeopardizing the administration of
the country.
Harbour employees who earn fat salaries, plus overtime and unseen
income dictate terms to the Government and the Private sector Companies
calling for sudden strikes incurring great losses in foreign currency to
the country. Well paid Petroleum Corporation employees (overstaffed) are
paralysing the entire transportation network by striking, dictating
terms to the Government how to run their Corporation.
Employees of the Electricity Board and the Water Board enjoying a lot
of fringe benefits also have threatened the Government of strike action,
if the Government does not dance according to their tunes.
Unemployed politically motivated Union leaders possessing degrees
acquired locally and from abroad, thrive on the Union funds collected
from the poor workers and portray their ugly images on the television
discussion programmes and are the most vociferous in corrupting the
minds and manipulating the workers to agitate for more pay hikes and
other benefits completely ignoring the economic plight of the poor
suffering villagers.
Because of the short-sightedness, these Union Leaders and their
acolytes, appear not to believe in evil karmmic retribution that
ordinary Buddhists and Hindus and their children fear to face in this
birth and next.
Even true Muslims fear retribution as Allah maintains two imaginary
Record Books known as Sijjin and Illuyin in which respectively 'evil
deeds' and 'righteous deeds' of each individual are recorded, and
considered before sending them to the Eternal Hell or Heaven. Even the
Holy Bible recognizes this fact when it says that, vide Colossians:
3:25. "He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath
done; and there is no respect of persons."
It looks that both the employers in the Government and the Private
Sector are at wits end, with regard to the question of how to tackle
wildcat strikes staged by well-paid employees compared to the general
income of the poor jobless citizen of this country.
Strikes daily aggravate, incurring great losses to the country and
its citizens tarnishing its image in the eyes of the world. Strikes have
more-or-less become an epidemic.
It appears that employees are more on leave and strike than at work.
If the Government Authorities and Private Employers cannot tackle this
problem with wisdom, by enacting suitable laws, citizens of this country
must be allowed to intervene in these matters directly.
Suggestions:
(1) Publish the names, designations and residential addresses of all
Union officials for the information of the general public who suffer as
the victims of strikes, so that they could go to courts claiming damages
from the Union officials who call wildcat strikes.
(2) Companies that incur losses also can go to courts claiming
damages from the Union officials who are responsible for such strikes.
(3) To pass laws to give 10 or 15 lashes as punishments and
deterrents to such Union officials who mislead the unwilling workers
calling them to stop work.
SITHI ARAWINDA P. MUTUCUMARANA,
Dehiwala
I have read the article 'Truth about the LTTE and their demands'
written by Col. Jayantha de Silva (Retd.)
The article is very interesting and it has been conceived with a deep
deliberation.
Anyhow time and life have been changed a lot from 1950s. Col.
Jayantha de Silva forgets one thing and it is that you need not
negotiate with your friends but you must negotiate with your enemies.
The situation has gone too far since the independence, so the whole
issue is not only between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka but
the issue concerns the whole Tamil community in the northern and eastern
provinces of Sri Lanka. Therefore the key question sounds, does the LTTE
represent the whole northern and eastern provinces of the Tamil
communities.
If the answer is no, in such a case all Tamil parties of the
mentioned areas included the LTTE should be represented in the peace
talks.
This whole issue is politically and constitutionally very
complicated, but it can be solved, if there is a goodwill and consensus.
The final peace can be achieved at the table only sooner or later.
MARTTI NYSTROM,
Finland
With reference to the letter on July 31 'Gross Interference in Sri
Lanka's Internal Affairs' by Malin Abeyathunge. It is very correct to
say that he should remember that he is merely the High Commissioner and
that we are not under British rule for him to pass judgements.
As for the comments made by him earlier at a function and reported in
the papers, it would have been ideal if the so-called influential Sri
Lankans who were present could have at least walked out as a sign that
his comments were out of place. But no, they had to stay and enjoy the
hospitality instead.
H. D.,
Boralesgamuwa
Reference page 2 of your paper please note I am no expert but a keen
amateur observer of Moths and Butterflies. Sanjeewa Rambukwelle came to
me for a possible identification. I do not know whether the moth is of
Indian origin.
I would like to quote from Michael Majerus' MOTHS published by Harper
Collins 2002, page 10: "One incident from my childhood comes to mind. It
became something of a tradition that I would rear Indian Moon Moths,
Actius luna, so that some adults would emerge around Christmas.
These were used as live Christmas decorations from Christmas Eve
until the day after Boxing Day. The moths remained motionless as long as
the lounge light was left on overnight.
All was well until the year Granny stayed over Christmas night and,
being financially astute, switched the lounge lights off. I was woken at
three in the morning to a house in chaos and was requested to retrieve
my moths from various parts of the building. So, to all those who have
had to put up with me, I extend my heartfelt thanks and I dedicate this
book to them."
SAM JAYAWARDANA,
via e-mail
Wellawatta, Narahenpita bus service route no. 141 is one of the most
paying private bus services within Colombo. The bus has a frequency of
10 minutes during rush time, 15 minutes during other times and 30
minutes during lean times. Most of the private buses are single door
type which could accommodate about 30 seated passengers.
A CTB bus plies in either direction once an hour only. A bus starting
from Manning Place, Wellawatta stops at Kirulapona till the next bus
arrives there - may be in 10 to 15 minutes.
On the return trip the bus stops on the Baseline Road after leaving
Narahenpita bus stand till the next bus comes. Again it stops at
Kirulapona till the next bus comes. For a journey of about 4 km, it
takes about half an hour. This is real agony for the passengers. During
rush hours, more passengers are standing inside the bus than those who
are seated. Imagine the inconvenience caused to the elderly, sickly
people, school going children and infants getting crushed inside the bus
which has more waiting time than running time.
Is this not human rights violation? Is this not a health hazard?
Before the bus services were nationalized in 1960, private buses were
not allowed to take more than 8 standing passengers. Is that law now
defunct?
Narahenpita and its adjoining areas have developed very much during
the last two decades. Several private hospitals viz Apollo, Asiri have
been developed.
There are several private business establishments. The Survey
Department and Labour Department head offices are in Narahenpita.
In Kirulapona, a housing scheme for public servants has been opened
last year with about 225 units. The Baseline Road (Highway) has been
opened up to Kirulapona connecting Colombo North and South. However the
bus service to Narahenpita is far from adequate.
From Narahenpita on route No. 103, there are two door buses plying to
Fort. The commuters request that routes number 141 and 103 is merged
into one, so that the bus starting from Wellawatta proceeds to Fort via
Kirulapona, Narahenpita, Kanatta, Borella, Maradana and Pettah.
This could run every five minutes during rush time and 10 minutes
during other times. This will enable the residents of WA Silva Mawatha,
Pamankada, Kirulapona areas to be connected directly to Borella and
Maradana and provide an alternate route to Fort. The Baseline Road will
serve the purpose of connecting the two ends of Colombo.
The bus service between Maharagama and Wellampitiya has probably
ceased operation. This is another reason why 103 and 141 should be
merged.
The transport authorities may consider connecting Wellawatta to
Nugegoda via Kirulapona, Narahenpita and Nawala.
This will enable Open University students to be connected to the
Galle bound buses and trains. Another possible bus route is Wellawatta
to Bambalapitiya via Kirulapona, Narahenpita. Before the private buses
came to operation route No.111 was Narahenpita Fort Via Bambalapitiya,
Kollupitiya. I trust that this will be seen by the Minister of Transport
and pray that he will do something to alleviate the suffering of the
travelling public.
ENG. V. REGUNATHAN,
Colombo 6 |
