https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/09/29/zzrj-s29.html
------ Post added on Sep 29, 2023 at 11:34 PM
Three hundred workers will lose their jobs and all properties owned by the company will be sold off to the private sector. The decision follows the Cabinetâs approval in July of a paper submitted by the Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security Nalin Fernando.
Established in 1950, the CWE is a state-owned enterprise (SOE) involved in wholesale and retail trading. Its declared purpose is to provide essential items, including food, to consumers at reasonable prices. It is the first SOE to be closed and all its jobs axed under savage austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in return for a $US3 billion bailout loan.
Sri Lankan workers from all other sectors, including SOEs, facing similar attacks on their jobs, wages and conditions must come forward and defend the CWE workers and fight the Wickremesinghe governmentâs assault.
CWE workers were sent a letter from Acting Chairman Pasanda Yapa Abeywardena dated September 20. It declared that they would be paid the âeligibleâ maximum compensation of 1,673,700 rupees ($US5,150).
The letter stated, however, that loans, advances and other amounts received by workers from the institution would be deducted from this âcompensationâ payment and that these could be subject to legal action. In other words, the retrenched workers will either be paid a very meagre compensation or possibly nothing at all.
Officials from the Lanka Podujana Progressive Trade Union and the Sri Lanka Freedom Employees Union, led by the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party respectively, met with the secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security on September 15. They appealed for âreconsiderationâ of the liquidation of the CWE. He declared that it was a decision of the Cabinet and could not be changed.
The unions have filed a court case requesting an injunction to prevent the shutdown of the CWE. It was submitted on Wednesday with the courtâs decision scheduled to be announced on October 2.
Lanka Sathosa, which runs retail shops, is also to be restructured. It functioned under CWE control until 2005 and then began operating as a separate SOE.
On September 18, the Sunday Times quoted a senior ministry official who said: âWe have a duty to provide a service to the people to provide food items easing the cost of living, but it is essential to tackle a mismatch via restructuring to make it profitableâĻ It has been proposed to introduce modern technology such as an enterprise resource planning system, and controls to cut waste, staff and logistics costs.â
------ Post added on Sep 29, 2023 at 11:35 PM
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