The Combined Association of Unemployed Graduates (CAUG) yesterday said the government had been irregular in employing new graduates and there was no proper work even for those who had been employed on a temporary basis.

Convener, Munasinghe said there were 35,000 unemployed graduates as at the end of the previous year and the government promised to employ 15,000 of them. "Though the government did call for the vacancies to be filled they have been very irregular in the way they have provided employment," he said.

He explained the authorities had insisted they would only employ those who had finished their degree by December 31, 2009. "But they have not done so before and this will be unfair for those who have graduated after that," he said. Munasinghe stated it was unfair for those who had graduated in 2010 and 2011 as they were not eligible for application. "The authorities said there was a new circular directing that only those who had graduated before December 31, 2009 could be employed but they have not presented this circular," he said.

Graduates who had been employed on a temporary basis were now idling at Pradeshiya Sabhas and Samurdhi Banks with nothing to do, Munasinghe said. "These graduates only get paid Rs. 10,000 as they have been employed on a temporary basis and some places even get late to pay them their salaries," he said.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka