The President made this promise at his Temple Trees in November 2009 when addressing the SLFP trade Unions.. He agreed to increase their salaries in January 2010 with arrears from November. But ,as always , the President and his Cabinet of Ministers don’t even make mention of the salary increases now. They have completely forgotten it. After all why should they be worried ? as they have got their own salary increases in due time , Ranil noted.

During the war the Govt .told the workers to be patient until the war was over. After the war was over , when the workers began to stage protests , it told them to wait until the budget was presented. Then it cheated on the workers by presenting a vote of account and not a budget , thereby craftily averting the fulfillment of the promise.

In other words the Govt. has been seeking avenues not to solve the workers ‘ grievances but to elude them, he pointed out.

When the UNF promised to increase the salaries by Rs. 10,000/- at the last Presidential election , the Govt. became jittery and questioned as to how it can be done. When our common opposition candidate explained how it can be done , the Govt. had no choice but to make at least a promise that it will also increase the salary by Rs. 2500/- . Finally , the workers are without any salary increase whatsoever , he lamented.

The country’s economy is in a shambles . People can hardly eke out a living . While the cost of living is spiraling and the price of essential commodities are rising by the day , the salaries of the Govt. and private sectors are at a standstill . In this situation , how can the people celebrate a New year ? Ranil asked.

The Govt. is only obsessed with winning elections by fraudulent rather than by fair means and perpetuating itself in power regardless of the people’s abysmal sufferings , he regretted.

Courtesy: UNP Media