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Sick note campaign as a form of Trade Union action

During the recent past, this country witnessed the sorry spectacle of Union members submitting sick notes and keeping away from work, as a form of Trade Union action.

An in depth study of this practice should be made to ascertain whether a Trade Union member has a moral right to state in writing that he/she is sick, when in fact he/she is hale and hearty and strong enough to display placards in broad daylight and shout slogans.

To say that one is sick, when in fact, he is not sick, amounts to telling a lie. All major religions in this country exhort their disciples not to tell lies.

A Buddhist is expected to observe the five precepts during his lifetime and if he/she tells a lie he/she will be violating the fourth precept, the consequences of which will have to be faced by the violator, either in this birth or in a subsequent birth.

Be that as it may, what is most pathetic and deplorable is that a Buddhist monk who is expected to tell his followers about the ill effects of telling lies, is guiding a Union consisting of females, in the health sector, encouraging the so-called sick note campaigns.

In fact his preventing nurses from nursing the sick, shows his irreverence to the Buddha who said Yo Gilaanam Upattathi So Mun Upattathi. (He who nurses the sick, in fact nurses me)

Be that as it may, it is only in the public sector in this country, that an employee is allowed to utilise sick leave, without having to produce a valid medical certificate. In all other sectors in the country, even a day’s sick leave has to be supported by a valid medical certificate.

It is, therefore, suggested that at least as a preliminary measure to prevent the abuse of sick leave in the public sector, which will no doubt make us the laughing stock of the world, provision be made to ensure that all applications for sick leave, be followed by valid medical certificates.


Woes of English teachers

It’s very regrettable to mention that the newly introduced ‘Activity plans’ instead of ‘previous lesson plans cause much inconvenience and problematic areas to teachers of English.

‘Competency’, ‘Competency Level’, ‘Engagement Stage’, ‘Exploration’ and ‘Explanation’ create a lot of trouble and problems in the teaching process carried out by any hardworking teacher in the classroom.

What I have experienced and found clearly is that there are vast differences between the English syllabuses of Grade 6, 9, 10 etc. and the relevant pupils’ text books, because different persons/writers have written or undesigned each syllabus and the text books.

The other point that I want to show is that all the work books of Grade 10 were cancelled due to some errors or problems, but students were not yet supplied the new books instead.

Let this be an eye-opener to those who are responsible in the English education sector.


Fruit exports

If you go to any big or small town in this country you can buy imported apples, grapes, oranges, naran, pears and peach from a number of shops, stalls and pavement hawkers.

But it is sad to say our indigenous fruits are not freely available except in one or two places.

Even varieties of plantains are only available in a few places. Papaws, oranges, mangoes, pineapples are not in plenty.

Even during the fruit season these fruits are not available in plenty for the local public. So people are compelled to go for imported apples, oranges and grapes.

The truth is always bitter. Why are the locals deprived of their native fruits, because of the export of our fruits to foreign countries?

I should like to suggest to the authorities to think of the national interest first and ban the export of local fruits. This will curtail the importing of fruits.


Slaughter of cattle for human consumption

According to the law, the following animals should not be slaughtered:

1. Milking cows

2. Pregnant cows

3. Calfs

4. Animals that are sick

5. Buffaloes

Presently the above animals are slaughtered illegally over and above the animals that are legally slaughtered. Cattle are stolen and brought to the city for slaughter.

If and when the vehicles that are transporting the animals illegally are apprehended by the Police, are prosecuted by law and the culprits are fined a small amount and the vehicle that transported the animals are released together with the animals and they continue their business.

Heavy fines must be imposed and the lorry and animals confiscated. The law enforcing persons namely the Police should not be tempted to take bribes.

If the law is severely imposed, a major number of cattle could be saved from illegal slaughter.

I appeal to all Buddhists in our country to refrain from eating meat and don’t make your stomach a cemetery for dead animals.

When animals are slaughtered legally, minimum amount of pain should be inflicted on the animal and the animal should be dead before the animal is cut and skinned.


Poor roads in Panadura town

This is with reference to my letter under the above caption which appeared in the Daily News - Citizens’ Mail of November 24.

It is a matter for concern that no action has been so far taken for repair of the damaged road and they are in a parlous state with pot-holes.

In contrast in the Panadura Pradeshiya Sabha area under the ‘Maga Neguma’ programme of the Government, many damaged roads have been repaired and tarred or concreted.

As the Panadura Urban Council has been dissolved and the Divisional Secretary appointed by the Chief Minister, Western Provincial Council to administer the affairs of the UC, I trust the Chief Minister will now be in a position to get the Divisional Secretary to attend to the road repairs early and also if necessary provide the UC with whatever assistance possible by the Provincial RDA so as to expedite the work.


The Second World War

Congratulations to the Daily News for the publication of the brilliant and absolutely clear-sighted article ‘Why a conflict?’ by G.D.C. Weerasinghe (DN Feb. 27).

The massive self-sacrifice in casualties and economic damage offered by the USSR in the Second World War against the Nazi imperialists won that war.

This apocalyptic destruction also caused the destruction of the greatest hope mankind and the oppressed people’s of America, Asia and the South Seas ever had for justice and peace in the idealism of Lenin’s USSR.

Now they remain oppressed and hopeless. See the racial conflicts manipulated by outsiders, the disorder and victimisation in what was formerly the USSR as a result of the loss of this great idealism of universal humanism.

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