Returnees from Cyprus demand Social Benefit allowance

The Ethera Api Organisaion staged a protest at the Agitation Site near the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday demanding the authorities to pay the Social Benefit Fund allowances due to the Sri Lankan workers returned from Cyprus. According to the protesters, a monthly fee is being charged by the Cyprus authorities from all expatriate workers to the Social Benefit Fund. They said the workers from other countries in Cyprus have been given their contribution from the Fund once they ended term of employment but no Sri Lankan has received it so far. Pix by Nisal Baduge