Video: Go for better salaries, says Ethera Api organisation

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti today charged that the Government was making the groundwork to curtail the salaries of Sri Lankans employed abroad by sending two employees to work for the salary of one.   

“The government is already making arrangements in this regard. It has had discussions with foreign missions in the country. Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister only want to achieve the title ‘the one who sent most number of Sri Lankan employees abroad’. The government or the Minister  doesn’t care about these employees,” he said.

MP Handunetti revealed these views at a news conference organised by the ‘Ethera Api’ organisation led by him.

While denouncing this arrangement, he said the Government should immediately withdraw the plan and should set a minimum rate for salaries abroad especially in the Middle East.   

“Some countries like Philippines had declared a minimum salary rate when their people work in countries like Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Sri Lanka should also follow this example to secure our employees. We will also make a proposal to the next year budget in this regard,” he said.
He advised Sri Lankan employees to be vigilant about their salaries.

Commenting on the South Korean job opportunities, Mr. Handunnetti said Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister had favoured people from his electorate when granting them Korean employment opportunities.

He charged 2,541 Sri Lankans who had qualified from an examination held in 2010 to enter Korea for employment were later not given with job opportunities. “The authorities had given opportunity for people they have selected from another list instead,” he said.  

Meanwhile an employee currently jailed in Jeddah speaking through a cell phone at the news conference said that they have been suffering inside the prison for over three months. He said that 37 Sri Lankans are currently jailed without any assistance or legal help from the Sri Lankan embassy in Jeddah.

“Those who have connections to the minister and those who can afford to pay bribes to the Sri Lankan embassy officials are the only ones who could leave the jail. We have no food and are suffering due to ill health. The authorities must open their eyes to this injustice” he said. (Sanath Desmond and Lahiru Pothmulla)
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