The Hon. Mano Ganesan

¶ 01 Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees.

¶ 02 This morning, I was pleased with the proposals presented by Deputy Minister Anil Jayanta on behalf of our comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Ministry. No problem — good is good, whoever benefits. However, let me say something I heard: Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe, the State Minister, spoke here. You are keen about the public sector and private-sector workers — that is fine. But you also heard the point that what is given on one side is taken back on the other through taxes. Please consider that.

¶ 03 Likewise, you provide assistance to fishers, workers, and farmers. I do not know whether it is being delivered properly; there are various allegations. When we say workers, the main worker community is the estate plantation workers. That community has been completely abandoned by the Government. Always it is sympathy, sympathy — much talk, little action. When the Budget was presented, the President mentioned a figure of 1,700. Where is that figure? Practically, they have not received it.

¶ 04 Some plantation companies say they will pay, but do not. Where they do, they only give the daily wage for the days worked — 10 or 15 days — and then keep them as casuals to cheat them. The Government must pay greater attention.

¶ 05 Another matter: Hon. State Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe spoke of a Collective Agreement. Please understand, I and Hon. V.S. Radhakrishnan represent the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA). We are not talking about the Wages Board; we do not trust it. You, the JVP, the CWC sit there — we are not there. We do not trust it. If you pay a wage, we will not obstruct; we will help. But we say the entire system must change — bring a system change so workers become stakeholders. Prepare a new business plan and increase their incomes. If you want, talk to us; we will share ideas. As it is, if they ask for Rs. 1,000, it takes five years; for Rs. 2,000, ten years — by then the value is eroded. With piecemeal wage hikes, you cannot uplift this community. The most marginalized, poorest, underprivileged segment is our people. Do good for them, but do not come here and lie, or merely show sympathy.

¶ 06 Your JVP trade union proposed Rs. 2,200 to the Wages Board. Is it given? No. Be fair. You said Rs. 2,200; now even Rs. 2,000 is not there. You have tied up with other Governments. We are not here to argue about the amount; we say make them stakeholders — change the system in plantations. Otherwise the industry cannot be revived. Do not think you can change things by talking only to planters and companies — they will never agree. Do the right thing.

¶ 07 Another issue — the youth sector. I see the Hon. Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Eranga Gunasekara, is here. You have changed the system in the National Youth Services Council, sending a circular to register a single association per Grama Niladhari division. Change it. There are around 14,000 GN divisions, but look at geography: some GN divisions have 2,000 people while estate divisions have 20,000–30,000, for example in Nuwara Eliya. It is unfair to have one society for 2,000 and also one for 20,000. Through those societies, sports and cultural equipment are given and participants go to national festivals. In some places there are none. In my Colombo, in Mattakkuliya GN division, there are 29,777 people. Increase in population per GN is an administrative matter; fine. But under the current circular, do not limit to one society per GN — consider population.