People power

PEOPLE power is not dead in Sri Lanka. This fact was proved by the strength of the apparel workers who braved bullets to defend their rights against the controversial Private Sector Pension Bill and managed to at least postpone its ratification, if not get rid of it altogether.

The Pension Bill has been coming under fire for months for its arbitrary submission before Parliament without giving stakeholders a chance to rectify its many controversial points. Many business chambers and trade unions met with the President as well as the Labour Minister to point out the constraints of the Bill.

At the final meeting at the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) earlier this month, Finance Ministry officials agreed to present a fresh draft at the council before it is presented to Parliament.

The matter seemed to have come to a temporary rest before the clashes dramatically erupted on Monday. It was reported that 40 workers and nine Police officers were injured in the clashes that also involved live bullets and tear gas. Thousands of protestors at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone demanded that the Pension Bill be rescinded and the message seemed to have carried home with the Government first announcing that FTZ workers are exempt from the Bill, with a later statement declaring that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central Committee had decided to temporarily postpone it.

In an increasingly politicised scenario, the JVP-backed Inter Company Employees Union (ICEU) has insisted that they will continue fighting the Bill while the United National Party (UNP) has stated that the SLFP Central Committee decision is dubious since it is a party institution and cannot speak for the Government. In an intense situation, one thing stands out clearly and that is the commitment of the protestors to their chosen cause.

In a country where people are criticised for their apathy, it is noteworthy that the workers of the FTZ stood up and fought for what they believe in, even in the face of bullets. People-centred protest is an important part of a democracy and even though the violence is regrettable, it has been provoked by a lack of consistency and transparency on the part of the Government. It has, at least for a short period of time, shown the Government that it has been appointed to serve the people and ensure that their rights are guarded.

This is not to say that violent protests are promoted, but rather that the forum for discussion, deliberation and yes, even dissent, is part of the governance process. The refusal of the Government to listen to the concerns expressed by the other stakeholders and the non-transparent process are in no small measure responsible for the events that unfolded on Monday. The three-day old protest ended in violence because the proper procedure of discussion that should have taken place at the NLAC failed and the people have little or no faith in the system.

There are many lessons to be learnt from this series of events. What matters to the people needs to be discussed freely, openly and with confidence. The procedures must be strengthened and good governance must come to the forefront. Stakeholders, especially on the Government front, must deal with the people in a transparent and accountable manner if future incidents are to be avoided. If the Bill is pulled off the shelf, then these same circumstances cannot be repeated.