REFUGEE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had informed members of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) SLFP trade unions during a discussion yesterday (26) that there would not be any salary increments for public sector employees in 2009 due to the expenditure the government has had to incur on the war and the resettlement of the war displaced and that a salary increment would be given with arrears for the employees in 2010.

Although Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie promised to organize a meeting between members of the Joint Trade Union that launched a work to rule campaign last week demanding a salary increment, none of the trade unions that

participated in the trade union action was invited for the meeting with the President.

Western province Governor Alavi Moulana headed the delegation of CPC SLFP trade unions and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunge, Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera, Minister Fowzie and Ministry Secretary M.M.C. Ferdinando participated in the discussion with the President.
The CPC Joint Trade Union demanded that the government either paid them the salary increment that was due for 2009 or a Rs. 5,000 salary increment. The SLFP unions did not participate in the work to rule campaign.