Union opposes EPF amendments

16 January 2012 04:05 pm

The Inter Company Employees Union (ICEU) today expressed reservations over the government’s decision to table amendments to the EPF Act in Parliament tomorrow and said it was strongly opposed to two of the amendments.

ICEU President and former Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Wasantha Samarasinghe said that at the labour consultative committee discussions held on January 4, it was agreed to remove the new clause 24(7), which would empower the Labour Commissioner to prepare an insurance or pension scheme for the private sector.
 
Mr. Samarasinghe said it was also agreed that the decision to construct an EPF–ETF Secretariat using their funds would be withdrawn as it was an unnecessary expenditure that would put both funds at risk and pointed out that the Labour Ministry had pledged to seek the advice of the Attorney General on the amendments.
 
“We expect the government will not divert from the agreed agenda with the ICEU and go ahead with the amendments. If the government does that without keeping to the agreed policy we will be compelled to believe that the government was attempting to embezzle EPF and ETF funds,” Mr. Samarasinghe said.
 
He said the ICEU expected a clarification from Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge before Wednesday otherwise the ICEU would have to decide on what action it should take. (SAJ)