Workers should exercise union action responsibly: Sumanthiran
TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran urged workers to exercise their sacrosanct right of trade union action in a very responsible and constructive manner.
The MP, joining in the debate in Parliament yesterday, said resorting to strike action at the drop of a hat belittled the most potent weapon in the hands of workforce.
The MP said those who had taken control of the GMOA were often holding the country to ransom by going on strike for flimsy reasons.
The MP said the medical services were in fact an essential public service though not declared in Gazette.
“This group of professionals who ought to know better and have taken a responsible oath behave worse than even criminals at times.
They do it to attain their own selfish objectives. Not all the medical professionals, but certainly those who have taken control of the GMOA are often behaving very irresponsibly putting the lives of people at stake.
“These professionals have obtained free education at the cost of tax payers’ money.
“I know people who have died for lack of medical attention in the last couple of months whenever the GMOA has gone on strike for some flimsy reason or the other,” Sumanthiran said. He thanked the President for declaring the supply and distribution of fuel as an essential service and urged the Government to take stern action to enforce the proclamation and carry on all essential public services uninterruptedly.
“We have supported the right of trade unions to resort to legitimate trade union action. Now people question whether the pendulum has swung the other way a little too much. Trade union action has many facets to it. Strike is the ultimate weapon, not the first thing. If the workers abuse it, they are putting their own right at risk. Today TUs don’t know that they must give notice on TU action,” he said.
“I believe I am expressing the general sense of disillusionment of the people of this country today when they see various organisations calling themselves ‘trade unions’ resorting to what they term ‘trade union action’. In reality, those are political actions to cripple the functioning of the country,” he said.
Sumanthiran said the strike is not appropriate even as the last resort in today’s context, given the host of issues the country is grappling with.
“Given the irresponsible way various organisations and TUs act, we believe the Government is left with no other option but to use the law which provides for proclamation of essential services,” the MP said.
‘Vote on resolution under Essential Public Services Act today’
Leader of the House and Highways and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella said the vote on the resolution under the Essential Public Services Act would be taken up today in the morning.
The debate in connection with making distribution of fuel an essential service commenced yesterday.
The Leader of the House said that after speeches of two government side members, the vote would be taken up. JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the opposition should ask for a vote.
Bills passed in Parliament without debating: Herath
Several bills were passed in Parliament on Wednesday without debating amidst the chaos, and it was a practice against the Parliamentary democracy, JVP parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said.
He made the observation yesterday joining the debate on resolution under the Essential Public Services Act. MP Herath said the JVP expressed its displeasure on the government’s move against the parliamentary democracy. “The trade unions requested not to hand over the Hambantota Port Oil Tank farm to China,” Vijitha Herath said. “The people’s plea is not to hand over the tanks to a foreign company as it is a national asset. But the government act against the people’s will,” he said.
He said Police arrested the trade union leaders after they had discussions with the SLFP SG and the Army Officer. He said the CPC employees were assaulted by Kolonnawa thugs. “Gotabhaya Rajapaksa used thugs from Kollonnawa to assault the people,” he said.
Report on CPC losses and damages will be submitted shortly: Ranatunga
Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, observing that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has incurred huge losses and damages over the past few days, said he would furnish a report in that regard to the House shortly.
The minister was speaking at the Parliamentary debate on the Gazette Extraordinary issued by the President declaring supply and distribution of fuel as an essential public service.
“We issued the Gazette because we saw that the public were inconvenienced because of the trade union action.
“The Government has more issues such as the garbage disposal problem and dengue epidemic at the same time.
“Had the oil crisis continued any longer, the day-to-day activities of the people could have been crippled. We are ready for discussions at any moment, and at the same time, we are not hesitant to take swift action if public is inconvenienced,” he said.
The Minister, reiterating that he is against “privatization”, said joint investment was necessary to develop certain sectors of the country.
“Keep aside your political motives when you are dealing with these matters.
“The petroleum strike could have been called off earlier than this, but some TU leaders acting as cat’s paw of certain rejected politicians did not allow that to happen,” the minister said.
“Hambantota oil tanks are not under the CPC, but under the Ports Authority.
“With joint investment into them, we can yield optimal results. I tried to explain this to the TUs. Some political figures with no vote base tried to mess my work.
“I do politics with the people. Doing ministerial duties is not like betting and gaming.
“When I was holding the Port and Shipping Ministry, I intervened to get that agreement amended,” he said.
‘Government cannot be toppled by disrupting essential services’
The Government cannot be toppled by disrupting the essential services, Opposition Leader and TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said in Parliament yesterday.
He said that disrupting the essential services was an action against democracy and the Joint Opposition was attempting to topple the government by interrupting the essential services.
“But everybody should realise the government has received the people’s mandate,” Opposition leader said.
“The provision of fuel to the people is essential. But the Joint opposition is attempting to disrupt it. That is the reason the President declared the distribution of fuel is an essential service,” he said.
He said the trade unions were essential for a democratic country but they should not cripple its essential services.
“At such situations, the government should take decisions to resolve the problems of the people,” he said.
Government driving democracy towards its grave: Dinesh
The Good Governance Government is driving democracy towards its grave, Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardena yesterday said.
He said the Opposition leader was maintaining silence being unaware that the democracy was facing a critical situation.
He made the observations joining the debate on the resolution under the Essential Public Service Act.
He said the Government had declared essential services at two occasions, one at the Meethotamulla garbage incident and the current issue. “Why did the government made such a proclamation?” MP Gunawardena asked.
“They did that to deploy security forces to get the work done and to neutralise the trade unions. All the trade union leaders of the CPC protest were arrested,” he said.
He said that although the Kolonnawa comes under the Wellampitiya Police Division, Welikada Police came there. Some came their carrying poles. The same thugs went to Hambantota and assault the workers. “The Good Governance Government has no support of the people,” Dinesh Gunawardena said. “It has the power of the weapons only. The thugs assaulted the SLFP trade union leaders.”
He said the Opposition Leader was keeping silent to protect his position.
JO says Security Forces traitors when they protect national assets: Marikkar
Members of the security forces become traitors to Joint Opposition (JO) when they attempt to protect the national assets and serve the people, United National Party Parliamentarian S. M. Marikkar said in Parliament yesterday.
He made this observation joining the debate on resolution under the Essential Public Services Act. He said the JO attempts to defame him as a thug. “I become their target at all occasions even when the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapsed, flooded or trade unions were attacked,” Marikkar said. “But I have nothing to do with any of them.”
He said that when the unity government attempts to move the country forward after establishing the democracy, some groups strive to disrupt it.
“Those groups speak of the patriotism after damaging the country and it assets,” Marikkar said. “Various criticisms are levelled against the government. But watch the footage of the CPC incident in Kolonnawa. Then you can decide the correct thing,” he said.
He said the CPC strike was an utter failure.
“However much the JO criticises me, the people know who I am,” Marikkar said. “We do our politics democratically.”
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