Sajith accuses Govt. of terminating workers recruited during ‘Yahapalanaya’

• Says around 6,800 projects assistant officers recruited by previous Govt. but the new Govt. has terminated their services
• Says this is a grave injustice to these workers

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday accused the Government of arbitrarily terminating the services of the employees recruited by the previous Government to the State sector and those recruited for full-time training.

In a special statement made to the House, Premadasa said that the President had presented the present Government’s policy statement on 20 August under the theme ‘One country – One law’ but accused the Government of committing serious injustice.

“Around 6,800 project assistant officers were recruited by the previous Government as per a Cabinet decision on a full-time training basis and they had reported for duty at the respective District Secretariats prior to the Presidential Election. However, based on a directive issued by the Election Commission, their appointments were suspended until the Presidential Election concluded. However, now it has been nine months since the Presidential Election concluded, but these recruits have yet not been called for service,” Premadasa added.

He said that based on a decision taken at the Cabinet meeting held on 17 September 2019, those recruited under temporary, casual, substitute, contract or relief bases for public service, provincial public service, public corporations and statutory boards by Public Administration Circular No. 29/2019 issued in accordance with the Cabinet meeting recommended to confirm the management assistants and primary grade officers who were recruited on the basis of having completed more than 180 consecutive days of satisfactory service as at 1 September 2019, this process was temporarily suspended based on the Election Commission directive.

“As a former Housing Minister, it has come to my notice that many employees of the Housing Development Authority are treated unfairly,” he said.

Premadasa said employees recruited to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, National Housing Development Authority, school health assistants recruited through the Ministry of Education, archaeological workers, field mosquito control assistants recruited to the Ministry of Health, Samurdhi Bank and computer assistants, and electrical maintenance assistants recruited to the Wildlife Department have been arbitrarily terminated as of now.

“The termination of appointments after the Government has issued an appointment letter and called for service is a grave injustice. Many of those who have been appointed have left their jobs in the private sector in anticipation of receiving government jobs, but now must face the cancellation of their government appointments, leaving them in a dire predicament. It is normal for political parties elected to government to change periodically, but the cancellation of government appointments given by the previous government after elections is also a very wrong precedent. I look forward to the Government›s response and explanation to the following questions regarding this gross injustice,” Premadasa noted.