Trade unions to take legal action against proposed change in the EPF, ETF administration

By Yohan Perera 

National Federation of Trade Unions and Professionals, a collective of a group of trade unions and professionals who are up in arms over the alleged move by the government to hand over the administration of Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and Employee Trust Fund (ETF). 

“We as a trade union collective and professionals will not allow misuse of EPF and ETF, which comprises funds which have been earned by state, semi-government, and private sector employees through hard work. We will be closely monitoring the situation with regard to the EPF and ETF. We will take legal action and trade union action if the government goes ahead with its plan especially to remove EPF from the Central Bank,” the statement which was signed by Convener Teacher-Principal Trade Union Collective Venerable Ulapane Sumangala Thera, Convener Government Nursing Officers Association, All Ceylon Management Service Union President Udeni Dissanayake, United Postal Trade Unions’ Front Joint Convenor Chinthaka Bandara, Representative of Podujana Progressive Employees Union, Medical Laboratory Technologist and prominent trade union activist Ravi Kumudesh, Dr Rameshkumar representative of Ayurvedic physicians Association, Convener of Samagi Trade Union Alliance Ananda Palitha and Representatives of Joint Alliance of Port Trade Unions Shaymal Sumanaratne said. 

“The government has seemed to have ignored the National Labour Advisory Council established under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) charter 144 and had not briefed this council on the move. The government has tried to claim that it is following a tripartite approach with regard to the move, but the truth is that it has briefed only parties which are associated with it,” the statement added. 

The statement alleged that the actual move is to hand over the administration of EPF and ETF to a management board. This is disturbing as it is clear that the government has no financial discipline and management skills. “This fact is clear when one looks into the way the government has handled institutions such as Road Development Authority, Postal Department, Aswesuma and national carrier SriLankan Airlines. This move will put the retirement of workers in jeopardy,” the statement also said. 

The trade unions therefore questioned the government’s move with regard to EPF, which was set up in 1958 and ETF, which was established in 1980, to ensure workers’ welfare.