News
Countrywide GMOA token strike tomorrow over ad hoc salary policy
Flaying the incumbent government for brazenly violating the national salaries and wages policy, the Government Medical Officers’ Association has announced that they would go on one-day countrywide token strike tomorrow (21) to protest what they alleged as unscrupulous government actions had compelled the entire public sector to launch a wave of strikes.
The GMOA in a statement announcing the trade union action accuses the government of following the destructive yahapalana policy as regards the ad-hoc increase of public sector salaries.
The statement says that the GMOA’s Central Committee has decided to launch a token trade union action on Monday, February 21, 2022 against the current government violating the National Salary Policy and provoking the entire public service to launch a wave of strikes through ill-thought cabinet papers.
The GMOA said the government should take direct responsibility for the current wave of strikes caused by the collapse of the national wage policy, and pointed out that a country can be destabilized by wages without a policy as well as a war.
Salary is a crucial factor in maintaining the right composition of human resources in any institution or country efficiently and more productively and thereby fulfilling the desired role, the GMOA pointed out issuing a statement.
When the salary is not optimal, the institution or service will not be able to obtain or retain the right human resources.
Only way to resolve this is to stop making decisions on salaries through cabinet papers and refer them to the National Salaries Commission, which is made up of technically capable people, and make decisions on salaries in the public service in line with the National Salaries Policy.
If the salary scale is set incorrectly, in addition to the breakdown of the productivity of that organization or service, the internal stability of the organization will also be lost.
Overall Salary consists of the basic salary, allowances and benefits and when determining its scale factors such as educational qualifications, training time, technical skills, decision-making responsibility and responsibility, occupational risk and complexity are considered.
Prior to 2003, the public service faced a wave of strikes due to the arbitrary introduction of the salary factor through ministry committees and the cabinet. Its worst-hit health service, was disrupted by a wave of strikes on185 days out of 365 days a year.
The GMOA realizing this stepped in to correct the salary factor and to improve the public service which had collapsed in the wake of the strikes through the following three proposals.
1. Eliminate cabinet papers, ministry committees and cabinet subcommittees that publish arbitrary salary scales without proper study.
2. Appoint a National Salaries and Remuneration Commission and obtain resource contributions from the leading scholars in the relevant subject.
3. Make all salary revisions only in accordance with a national salary policy.
In 2003, the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga established a National Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa preserved the National Salary Policy formulated by the Commission in 2006 and gave stability to the public service.
However, again during the period of good governance, the Cabinet began to violate the National Wage Policy by amending salaries in the judiciary and the legal field.
The government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is also further complicating this arbitrary process by disregarding any of the factors that should be taken into account in determining the aforesaid salary scale, through Cabinet and Ministry papers or personal commissions.
Today, the country is being destabilized by a wave of strikes due to the sensitive issue of wages, just as the country was destabilized during the war, the GMOA noted.
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
