News
Sabry reiterates trade unions should be regulated
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, says specific measures are required to thwart trade unions from disrupting essential sectors.
Acknowledging that trade unions’ right to strike as part of their overall strategy, the SLPP National List MP emphasised the pivotal importance of them, too, being subject to some conditions.
Minister Sabry pointed out that many countries in different regions have adopted measures to prevent destabilisation of essential services much to the discomfort of the public.
The Justice Minister said so when The Island sought his response to strong criticism of his recent call to ban strikes.
Professionals’ National Front (PNF) in a strongly worded letter dated Feb. 03 addressed to the Justice Minister asked him whether the government intended to suppress trade unions. The letter issued under the hand of PNF’s Secretary Kapila Renuka Perera questioned whether Minister Sabry was preparing the ground work to sell the remaining national assets.
MP Sabry told The Island that various interested parties had misinterpreted his original statement on the issue at hand. “Let me stress again, I didn’t call for a total ban on strikes under any circumstances.
Therefore, those who have criticised me for pushing for elimination of strikes should listen to what I told the electronic media recently.”
The Minister said that Sri Lanka could study safeguards adopted by other countries to prevent disruptive trade union actions. Referring to international standards in this regard, Minister Sabry pointed out that trade unions had to consult the entire membership through a ballot and the mandatory requirement to give 14 day notice before going on strike.
Responding to another query, the lawmaker said: “This is my opinion. I have no intention to give up that position.”
The President’s Counsel said that though he hadn’t brought this issue before the Parliament or political authority he strongly believed all stakeholders should give sufficient attention to the crises caused by some trade unions.
Referring to recent Railway strike, Minister Sabry said that a deliberate bid was made to undermine government efforts to attract foreign tourists, at a time the cash-strapped economy was struggling to cope up with current difficulties. Railway strike left over 200 foreigners on their way to Ella stranded on the upcountry line. “We had to arrange buses to take them to the final destination,” lawmaker Sabry said, underscoring that trade union action was obviously taken with one objective to cause chaos, thereby derailing government efforts to revive tourism.
Minister Sabry said that one of those foreigners who had been affected by the Railway strike declared in social media they would never encourage anyone to visit Sri Lanka.
The top lawyer said that the public had been severely inconvenienced due to public sector workers resorting to trade union actions over what the MP called private disputes. There had been instances of public sector strikes due to an altercation between a member of a particular trade union and another representing some other body, MP Sabry said.
The minister stressed that a dialogue was necessary to explore ways and means of reaching a consensus on what he called responsible trade union set-up.
The lawmaker stressed that strikes affected the public, particularly those struggling to make ends meet, certainly not the President and cabinet of ministers. Those who eternally speak of the rights and privileges of the public sector conveniently ignored the rapid deterioration of the public service in spite of significant expansion.
Minister Sabry said that trade unions couldn’t wage war against the administration at the expense of the people. The minister alleged that such strategies had been exercised over the years at the expense of the hapless public while successive governments and Opposition appeared to have not addressed the contentious issue.
Could trade union campaigns be allowed to jeopardise the overall well-being of the people? Minister Sabry asked. Would it be fair for those in the public sector to push for their rights disregarding the suffering of the needy, MP Sabry asked.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
