By Saman Indrajith

Strikes, pickets, demonstrations and trade union actions could not topple a government and that was a task only people were equal to, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliament yesterday.

Participating in the committee stage debate on budget proposals under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, the Premier said that a few demonstrations by politically motivated trade unions would not level a knockout blow to the government elected by the people.

Wickremesinghe said that the government had increased the salaries of public employees and the private sector salaries would be increased in January.

The Prime Minister said, “We are increasing the salaries of estate workers. We increased the pension payments by Rs. 1,000, Samurdhi allowance, brought down the prices of gas, milk powder, flour, sugar, kerosene oil and other essential commodities. We increased the Mahapola Bursary by Rs. 1,000, wrote off 50 percent of loans taken by farmers, granted Rs. 20,000 allowance to pregnant mothers, gave fixed price of Rs. 50 per kilo for paddy, Rs. 80 per kilo of potato, granted fertiliser subsidy to tea and rubber, pruned down the expenditure heads of presidency, and introduced a special banking system for war heroes and an insurance scheme for fishermen. We brought down the fuel prices. We did all these within a year. People enjoyed these relief measures and they would not launch struggles against the government. Are these strikes staged against bringing down the fuel prices or against increasing the pensions or Samurdhi allowances?

“What these trade union leaders are shouting against? What are their demands? Do they need to increase the prices of essential goods of which the prices we brought down? They reject this budget and ask us to go back to the previous situation. We cannot do so just because the unions call for that. People have given a mandate to us. They gave a mandate to President Maithripala Sirisena.

“Now, the unionists talk of a Rs. 10,000 allowance and demand it be included in the basic salary. We gave an allowance of Rs. 10,000. If we add this to the basic salaries there would be another wave of strikes and union actions demanding rectification of salary scales.

“We are ready for talks. Where were these strikers when Roshan Chanaka was shot dead? Where were they when people were shot dead at Rathupaswala? Where were they when journalists were assaulted? What is your problem? Don’t you like the presidency of President Sirisena?

“It is our objective to introduce a minimum salary on the basis of cost of living. The current minimum salary is not sufficient. They have to send their children for private tuition and medical expenses are high. Make such demands. They are reasonable. There has been a call for cancelling CEPA. How can we cancel something which is non-existent?

“Now we are moving fast to develop this country. Are these trade unions against development. Are you against building 500,000 new houses? Are you against creating one million new jobs? Are you against building a megapolis?

“Doctors said that chronic kidney disease was due to the use of some fertilizers and demanded that it be controlled. So we took actions needed. Now, these agitators demand chemical fertilizers again. Am I a doctor to go against other doctors’ opinion?

“If you are dreaming of changing the government by staging protests, you are mistaken. You take the time and space of media to show off and get publicity for non-existing dissent. These agitators have no public support. Your actions will only cause inconvenience to the people.”

Courtesy:The Island