News
FSP calls on people to oust govt.
By Saman Indrajith
The Frontline Socialist Party, on Tuesday, said that people had no option but to take to the streets to chase out the incumbent government. “The government has not learnt that people engage in protests because they no longer can put up with hardships. We have no other option but to beat off this government. Ranil Wickremesinghe says that he has no home to go. He should not go home, he should be sent to a prison for the crimes he had committed,” FSP Education Secretary, Pubudu Jayagoda, told a press conference held in Colombo.
Jayagoda said that farmers, fishers, workers, students, women and peasants are rising up against taxes and suppression by the government and his party would support their struggle to drive out this government. Those engaged in the fisheries industry find it hard to survive because of the fuel price hike. Crisis in the fishing industry started with the price increase on a litre of kerosene from Rs 87 to Rs 340. During the time of Mahinda Rajapaksa kerosene price was increased by Rs 140 and the fishers took to the street, protesting, and Anthony Fernando, of Chilaw, was shot during such a protest and the government had to bring down the price.
“A boat with a 50 litre capacity has to spend around Rs 29,000 before it is put to sea. The kerosene cost comes around Rs 17,000, lubricants Rs 5,000, baits and lures Rs 5,000 and food for at least three fishermen at Rs 2,000. A boat with 20 litre capacity has to spend around Rs 10,000 a day. This is without the cost for ice. The price of ice that had been at Rs 250 now went up to Rs 600. There are boats with 9.9 to 15 horsepower that need at least 15 litres of kerosene and such boats do not go to deep sea. The ones that go far have 25 horsepower and they need 30 liters while only the vessels of 30-40 horsepower can go into deep seas and they need 50 to 60 litres of fuel.
Fisheries industry is on its death throes. “The situation is worse when it comes to multiday fishing trawlers. There are around 6,000 such vessels. They use diesel. A vessel that spends around 45 days in the deep sea cannot be put to sea without spending around Rs 10 million. People can no longer afford to eat fish. The government has to take immediate action to allocate fuel to the fishing industry, immediately save the jobs of 100,000 engaged in the industry and to fight against malnutrition. In that context, the government has increased the fuel quota of MPs from Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000 and added many ministers. Every minister gets six vehicles. Each gets 750 litres of petrol. If he has three petrol vehicles he gets 2,250 petrol liters a month. More than Rs one million government money is spent for that. Each minister gets 600 litres of diesel per one vehicle and with three vehicles he gets 1,800 litres per month and the government pays around Rs 700,000 per month. Instead of saving the dying fishing industry this is what the incumbent government does,” Jayagoda said.
Jude Namal from the Fisher Organisations Collective, M Wijendran of the Independent Fisher Activists Committee and W Maximan for the Fisher Workers Association also addressed the press conference.
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
