370 New Appointments to the SLTB

The presentation Letters of Appointment to the newly recruited 370 drivers and conductors at the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), was held recently under the patronage of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana at the Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Mandiraya Auditorium in Colombo.

This new batch is to fill the vacancies of drivers and conductors who have been working in the Western Province for more than 10 years, and have applied for transfers.

The Minister also emphasised that the newly recruited drivers and conductors must work for three years in their respective depots, with no change entertained due to political influence.

“Majority of the people of our country used to go to school and their jobs by SLTB buses. In 1957, the government led by the late Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike nationalised the bus services.

The SLTB is providing a yeomen service to the public. The driver and the conductor are responsible for the lives of the passengers on board. They should be determined to perform their duties honestly and conscientiously, ensuring the safety of passengers in a way that minimises accidents.

A request also made not to contribute to the kind of trade union actions that will inconvenience the commuters. Whatever the reason or problem may be, we have provided ways to resolve it through discussions. If a problem is not solved, he or she can go through the head of their depot, provincial heads, otherwise through the Chairman, Ministry Secretary, and otherwise, the Minister.

All loss-making government institutions are run on tax money collected from the common people. The SLTB Chairman and the management are making great efforts to turn the loss-making institution into a profitable one. Last year, the government gave an allowance of Rs.10,000 to public servants and the loss further increased.

Even though the SLTB is a semi-government institution, we have decided to give that allowance to all SLTB employees. For that, Rs.275 million has to be spent monthly, in addition to the expenses incurred for the monthly salaries. Fraudulent actions by some employees also cause the loss to increase further. As a result, the institution collapses.

Therefore, all SLTB crews should give the entire income to the depot without resorting to any theft, corruption or irregularity.

If all workers are working efficiently, we can hope to make the organisation profitable, and part of the profit can be distributed again among the employees.

There is also the possibility of getting proper promotions based on qualifications and experience through efficient service. Through that, all workers can hope for a better life. Otherwise, the SLTB will collapse. If it is not possible to make a profit after 2025, this institution will be privatised or closed according to the international agreements we have signed. If the agreement is not followed, the institution as well as the entire country will collapse.

The post 370 New Appointments to the SLTB appeared first on DailyNews.