Vice President of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and Head of the Plantation Manpower Institute Bharat Arulsamy, has vehemently opposed the potential privatisation of key Sri Lankan State-owned plantation entities, namely the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation (SLSPC), Janata Estate Development Board (JEDB) and Elkaduwa Plantations.
The Government has already announced that loss-making State-owned enterprises would be privatised and these three entities are on the list.
Following State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalpitiya’s announcement in Parliament about the intended privatisation yesterday (10), confusion has gripped the workers in these State-owned sectors, Arulsamy said.
He emphasised that the CWC stands firm against this move, ensuring that workers’ dues, including land rights, are duly honoured to prevent injustice to those who have dedicated decades to these estates.
Arulsamy raised this concern, highlighting that the matter was brought to the attention of Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman, expressing strong opposition to the privatisation of these State plantations.
He stressed that should the Government proceed with its privatisation plans, adequate compensation in the form of EPF and ETF, along with service allowances, must be ensured for the affected workers.
Further, the demand for rightful ownership transfer of the houses and lands presently occupied by the workers. He emphasised the need for a just solution, suggesting the allocation of one acre of land per worker to enable them to become small-scale tea growers, thereby providing a sustainable solution for their livelihoods.