THE Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) yesterday said that a decision has been made to continue their current trade union action in whatever form possible and said that it will be taken in all the universities except for J’pura, Ruhuna and Wayamba.
An interim order was given by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday to the Vice-Chancellors of Jayewardenepura, Ruhuna and Wayamba universities preventing them from accepting the resignation letters of Department Heads, which were rendered as part of the FUTA trade union action.
However, FUTA President Dr Dewasiri said that the academics in those universities have not been contacted by the Vice Chancellors so far on resuming their duties as Department Heads.
l On Monday, clashes occurred when workers were protesting against a draft law that would not guarantee a lifetime retirement pension.
The proposed Private Sector Pension Bill law would set up three pension funds to provide workers with retirement benefits but only as long as the pension fund does not run out of money.
In practice, this means workers will contribute a fixed percentage of their salary to fund their pension plan and will be entitled to benefits upon retirement.
However, should the plan run out of money, they would receive nothing.
Three people are said to have died in the incident. Police used tear gas and prevented wounded from being evacuated to hospitals.
Police and thousands of protesters clashed at a Free Trade Zone near Sri Lanka’s only international airport, 33 km (20 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, in the first big union action since the end of 25-year civil war in 2009.
‘We will go for indefinite strike until the government totally withdraws this bill,’ said Amarapala Gamage, leader of one of 26 unions representing about 500,000 workers which have united under the Joint Trade Union Alliance.
Police, hospital and union officials said about 200 people including police officers were wounded in the clashes, which involved rock-throwing by protesters answered by tear gas and gunfire by the police. Most injuries were minor.
Unions, many linked to the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) opposition party, have traditionally been influential in Sri Lankan politics, and been a bellwether for unrest.
Rajapakse has managed to keep them largely sidelined.
Strikes could cripple Sri Lanka’s $50 billion economy at a time when the government is doing its best to boost sagging foreign direct investment despite enjoying a third full year of peace, and generate record growth of 8.5 per cent this year.
Catholic priests and human rights activists have firmly slammed the brutal police crackdown on thousands of Free Trade Zone workers who staged a protest yesterday in Katunayake.
Protesters are against the proposed Private Sector Pension bill, which they deem deeply flawed because it does not guarantee workers a lifetime pension.
‘Independent protest is a right of every free citizen,’ said Fr Reid Shelton Fernando, a Catholic priest.
‘What has happened shows that, in this country, people cannot exercise one of their fundamental rights.’
According to some witnesses, police stormed a number of factories looking for demonstrators.
They also blocked the main entry point to the zone in order to stop people from leaving.
After a few hours, workers were able to force their way through the blockade, and 18,000 people poured into the streets where they clashed with police.
Witnesses said police also tried to prevent the wounded from being taken to hospitals.
Fr Sarath Iddamalgod, a Catholic priest, was in a local temple with six Buddhist monks when the mayhem broke out.
‘We saw the police launch tear gas to stop the demonstrators.
‘The government is trying to crush peaceful protests,’ Laxman Rosa, a Christian political activist, said.
‘This is a total violation of human rights, the right of freedom of expression and the right to defend workers’ rights.’
Unofficial sources have also reported three deaths.
There are 216 wounded people are in the Negombo hospital. One of them has a gunshot wound to the leg and is in the intensive care unit.
Sri Lanka’s major trade unions threatened on Tuesday continuous strikes unless the government scraps its proposed private pension fund, the day after thousands of workers clashed with police to protest against the retirement scheme.
Although President Mahinda Rajapakse’s ruling party suspended the pension bill temporarily on Monday after the violence, unions said the move was merely a delaying tactic.
Workers again took to the streets on Tuesday at another free trade area in Biyagama, about 20 km (9 miles) from Colombo, after the government closed the one near the airport until Thursday to restore peace among its 50,000 workers.
‘We are against this scheme, the way they are bringing it in is not acceptable,’ said 42-year-old Ajith Premalal, a worker at money printing firm De la Rue’s plant. ‘The government is trying to steal workers’ money by this bogus pension scheme.’
Both employees and employers have opposed the plan, which would mean workers have to wait longer to access their savings and would add more costs to employers.
‘Why is the government trying to impose this bill by force if this is good and beneficial?’ Gamage told a news conference.
Rajapakse met trade unions who support the bill at the Finance Ministry.
Meanwhile, Rajapakse has ordered an investigation into the violence at the Free Trade Zone. Initially, unions had threatened to strike at all 12 of the Indian Ocean nation’s free trade areas, all run by the state’s Board of Investment.
l The Joint Trade Union Alliance comprising 26 trade unions including powerful Lanka Bank Employees’ Union, Ceylon Mercantile Union and Free Trade Zone General Employees’ Union has decided to launch more protests against the proposed private sector pension fund.
The Joint Trade Union Alliance held an agitation yesterday at noon before the Colombo Fort Railway Station to protest over Monday’s police attack at the Free Trade Zone employees.
Joint Trade Union Alliance says that it has also taken measures to file a fundamental rights petition against the assault that took place on Monday in Katunayake Free Trade Zone.
The trade union alliance further urges the unconditional release of the arrested employees without reprisals against them.