Pension mayhem

Tuesday, 31 May 2011 00:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Following protests by Trade Unions and a clash between the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) workers and the police, the SLFP Central Committee last evening decided to temporarily suspend the Private Sector Pension scheme.

The Government perhaps in a conciliatory move decided to close the Free Trade Zone in Katunayake today to diffuse tension and establish industrial peace. Trade unions had yesterday threatened to shut down the free trade zones as protests against the Private Sector Pension Bill took a violent turn with at least 23 people injured in clashes between police and demonstrators at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone.

Clashes erupted between the dissenting garment workers and police after three days of ongoing protest against the proposed Private Sector Pension Bill, outlined in the 2011 Budget. Police fired live ammunition and tear gas at several thousand protestors in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (KFTZ). Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya told reporters at a hurriedly convened media briefing that nine police officers including one Deputy Inspector General (DIG) were injured in the clash. DIG Ravi Wijeyagunawardena, two Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) and an Officer-in-Charge (OIC) were injured and were receiving treatment at the Negombo Hospital along with 15 workers.

Responding to the turn of events the Department of Government Information (DGI) has released a statement on their official website www.news.lk that the garment workers are exempt from the proposed Bill.

Quoting Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge the report says that the government has decided to exempt the employees working in the country’s Free Trade Zones from the proposed Private Sector Pension Scheme. “Minister of Labour and Labour Relations Gamini Lokuge said that employees in the garment sector and the affiliated industries will not be included into this proposed Private Sector Pension Scheme.”

However the Inter Company Employees Union (ICEU), backed by the opposition party JVP insists that they will continue protests till the Pension Bill is withdrawn for all workers. The organisation alleges that around 40 workers were injured and the protests were progressing peacefully before the police intervened. The police in response claim that the protestors threw stones at them triggering the clash.

Investigations are being carried out by the CID and a team has been sent to probe the clash which took place in Katunayake.