MPs protest against eviction of families in Matale estate
Minister Jeevan says workers’ rights will be safeguarded:
Manager removed for high-handed act in Elkaduwa :
Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman told Parliament yesterday that the law
will be strictly enforced against the demolition of the house of an estate worker who temporarily resided in Ratwatta Estate in Elkaduwa, Matale.
The Minister said that steps were taken to remove a manager attached to this Estate involved in this incident and that the law would also be implemented against the other persons involved.
There was a heated situation in Parliament yesterday due to an incident in which 14 members of three families from a government estate in Matale Ratwatte were driven out by the head of the estate spreading terror and demolishing their houses.
As this protest was held for almost an hour, the Speaker had to exert a lot of effort to control the affairs of the House. A group of MPs including Rohini Kumari Wijeratne, Vadivel Suresh, S. Radhakrishnan, Mano Ganesan, S.Velu Kumar, Kins Nelson, Chaminda Wijesiri, Kavinda Jayawardene joined the protest. The Minister while commenting on the incident said that a collective solution should be found regarding this problem and conflicts between Tamil MPs should not have to be created in this regard.
He said that discussions were held to increase the daily wages of plantation workers by Rs.1,000 and they are not slaves.He also stated that a solution should be found according to international conventions on plantation workers as the existing Wages Board does not deal with the exploitation of the manpower of plantation workers.
The Minister said that the President had invited the Ministers representing in the areas where plantation companies are running to discuss the problems of the plantation workers. But despite solving the problems of the plantation workers, some people are working to use those problems to fulfill their political needs. The Minister questioned how these problems can be solved if we create divisions among ourselves in society where Tamils are considered as minorities.
The Minister said that he would present himself as the Minister to solve the problems of the plantation workers and that this incident in Matale is not humane. Although some Tamil MPs did not speak about the plantation workers, even some Sinhala MPs and MP Rauf Hakeem spoke for these people.
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