Against misleading news reports:

Employees to get bonus

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Water Board employees will get bonus tomorrow. National Water Supply and Drainage Board General Manager Lal Premanath yesterday said the news reports that said Water Board's employees will not get their December bonus are misleading and incorrect.

The bonus circular was issued by the Board on December 15.

The bonuses for Water Board employees are usually paid along with their salaries in December.

The board has not paid their bonus when it paid their salaries on December 17. Premanath said the Board paid their salaries four days in advance in view of the festive season.

"We could not process their bonus to be added to the salaries in two days," he said. One of the Water Board trade unions seemed to have passed this information to the press with emphasis on the fact that the employees have not received their bonus.

The Trade Union concerned has agreed to make an announcement about this to the press to clear the situation from being misconstrued by the public, he said.

The government has fixed the date of their salary payments on December 21 in view of Christmas and the New Year, he said.