Need dialogue for management policies and processes of the government - NWC

Monday, 12 November 2012

National Workers Congress held a press release on 11 th November 2012. Here are some details. The workers of Sri Lanka had a very simple requirement from the budget – an increase in their monthly wages. Everything else was secondary. This is to be expected with the significant rise in the costs of transport, water and electricity and the continuous devolution of the rupee. To their great disappointment however, the government has paid only lip service to this life critical need. The National Workers Congress contends that the budget has provided a mere Rs.1,500 increment and that two payable in two installments would only exacerbate the anger and disappointment of the working class towards the government.

The 2013 budget has been kind to farmers and the focus that the government has shown towards organic agriculture is laudable. However, the core livelihood security and welfare requisites of the fisheries community seem to have slipped past the budget. Why attention that has been give to small and medium scale entrepreneurs and smallholder planters in terms of tax relief while neglecting migrant workers who bring in a large percentage of foreign exchange is unfathomable. The National Workers Congress propose that allocation of Rs. 200 million for social welfare through religious centers, would have a potential to link up active stakeholders to implement a social security and counseling for migrant workers and their families.

While it is laudable that the government a special committee to rectify salary anomalies and inefficiencies to cater to requests of professionals, it is clear from the budget that the government has no plan, strategy or process to ensure economic security for the over two million workers in the informal and unorganized casual work sector.

The National Workers Congress sees the fact that the government has completely ignored the early childhood development and pre-school education sector while providing Rs.900 million for regional teacher training and primary school education as a serious and glaring gap in the 2013 budget. The fact that the government shows little concern for addressing the crisis in academic skills, capacities and infrastructure is viewed by the NWC as a serious threat to qualitative excellence of the future of education in Sri Lanka.

The NWC is further concerned with the fact that while the government has proposed this budget in anticipation of the quick development of commercial and small and medium industrial sector it has paid little heed to ensuring a minimal standard of living through decent salary revisions for those workers involved in various marginalized sectors. The NWC states firmly that without improving the quality of life of workers, there is no possibility for either an industrial peace or its sustainable outcomes.

The NWC sees a good future investment in the government’s plan to set up a higher educational institute for green technologies. As a national trade union that understands and promotes the importance of green jobs to counter the global environmental crisis, the NWC looks forward to these higher educational facilities open to the technical workers and labor force of the country.

The NWC also perceives a fiscal crisis when the budget states that the estimated government income for 2012 is Rs. 1150 billion while loan installment and interest payments come to Rs. 1139 billion and proves that the continuing and escalating debt trap makes it impossible for the government to provide relief to the public. The NWC appeals to both government officials and politicians to pay far greater attention to ensuring returns on investment, positive outcomes and process and fiscal transparency with respect to large scale projects funded by incurring massive overseas debt. The fact that a new mechanism to address these issues was not forthcoming in the budget does not bode well for the economy of the country.

The NWC also affirms that there should be a comprehensive dialogue amongst civil organizations not only on this budget but also on fiscal management policies and processes of the government.

National Workers Congress