News
Disputed move to extend retirement age of House staff falls through
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday (27) acknowledged that a proposal to extend the retirement age of Parliament staff, to 61 years, contrary to a government decision to retire public sector workers, at the age of 60, by end of this year, has been held up by State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya’s refusal to back the bid.
Speaker Abeywardena said that the House proposal couldn’t be implemented, unless approved by four members of the Parliament Staff Advisory Committee, consisting of him, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the House Susil Premjayantha and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.
Retirement of those who have reached 60 was in line with measures taken, against the backdrop of the economic fallout. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his interim Budget proposed to reduce the retirement age of public sector and semi-governmental employees to 60 years.
Authoritative sources told The Island yesterday that State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya wouldn’t back the proposal. The SLFPer told Parliament that the country was in such a bad situation Parliament staff couldn’t be given special status.
The State Minister said so on Dec. 13 in response to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s push to extend the retirement age of Parliament staff, contrary to the government’s decision to retire public servants at the age of 60, as part of the overall measures to address the continuing crippling economic crisis.
When the Speaker asked the SLFPer whether he couldn’t agree to the appeal made by the parliamentary staff, lawmaker Siyambalapitiya said that the government decision couldn’t be reversed, under any circumstances.
The State Minister emphasized that the issue didn’t concern the Parliament.
The one-time Deputy Finance Minister has dismissed SJB leader Sajith Premadasa’s claim that at a meeting attended by four persons, namely the Speaker, Susil Premajayantha, Siyambalapitiya and himself, the State Finance Minister had agreed to extend the retirement age.
Lawmaker Premadasa alleged that having agreed with them, the State Finance Minister went back on his word.
Lawmaker Siyambalapitiya asked the Opposition Leader to peruse the minutes of the said meeting.
Recently, the Parliament warned the media over the reportage of a move to extend the service of Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Dasanayake. The Parliament, in a statement issued on Dec. 05, quoted the Leader of the House Premjayantha as having said that those responsible for the reportage should be summoned before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
However, the statement made no reference to only three members of the Ethics and Privileges Committee endorsing the move to extend the retirement age though reference was made to a discussion on the retirement age of Parliament staff members. The statement quoted all members of the Ethics and Privileges Committee, except lawmaker Siyambalapitiya, who opposed the move.
Public Administration Secretary Priyantha Mayadunne said that Parliament staff didn’t come under the purview of his Ministry. However, as far as he was aware, there was no change in the original decision to retire those who had reached 60 by the end of this month. However, this would not apply to selected essential professions, such as medicine, nursing, and engineering.
The relevant gazette, dated Dec. 05, 2022, has been issued by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, in his capacity as Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government.
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
