Cabinet proposal to settle SLTB EPF arrears: AG tells CA

By S.S. Selvanayagam

Counsel appearing for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Monday (4) informed the Court of Appeal that there is a Cabinet Proposal and it would be filed in court in due course in respect of the settlement of the arrears with surcharge of the SLTB Employees’ Provident Fund.

He moved for further time to finalise the settlement and the matter was fixed to be mentioned on 24 October. 

The Writ Petition filed by the employees was taken up before the Bench comprising Justices Vijith K. Malalgoda (President/CA) and P. Padman Surasena.

Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) employees filed the Writ application to recover arrears with surcharge of their Employees’ Provident Fund contribution payable by the SLTB.

All Ceylon Transport Workers’ Union and its General Secretary Sepala Liyanage in their petition cited Acting Commissioner General of Labour W.J.L.U. Wijayaweera, Assistant Commissioner of Labour Nandasena, Commissioner of Labour W.D.S.C. Weliwatta, SLTB, its Chairman S.D. Welgama, its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) R.V.D. Piyatileke and the Finance Ministry Secretary as the Respondents. 

Parakrama Agalawatte with Shyamalee Weliwatte appeared for the Petitioner Union. Shantha Jayawardane appeared for the SLTB.

In their petition, they complain the SLTB has defaulted and/or failed to make contributions to the EPF especially from May 2010.

They state the sum in respect of which SLTB was in arrears amounted to Rs. 3,748 million excluding the surcharge by August 2013.

 They further state the total number of SLTB employees affected by such default on the part of the SLTB is approximately 36,000.

They are seeking the Court to make order directing the Respondents to furnish to Court statement of accounts indicating the default amount of money unpaid to the EPF.

They are asking the Court to grant and issue an order to the Acting Commissioner General of Labour to take action and/or initiate legal proceedings against the SLTB, its Chairman and its CEO to recover the arrears with surcharge payable to the EPF by the SLTB.