Under the restructuring of the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), the government has decided to send all its 300 employees on compulsory retirement from the 30th of this month. Accordingly, the president of the Sathosa Institute, Pasanda Yapa Abeywardena, has issued a circular stating that all the employees will not be paid monthly salaries or any other allowances from the 30th of this month.
The employees have protested against this decision by the board of directors, and they have not allowed the Chairman of the CWE, Pasanda Yapa Abeywardena, to vacate his office. However, it is said that the administration has taken this step because the related proposal was submitted to the cabinet and approved by the trade minister Nalin Fernando.
When a discussion was held with the Ministry Secretary, he had said that he could not do anything about it as this was a Cabinet decision.
Employees say they will take professional and legal action against the decision.
A group of employees from the CWE staged a protest demonstration today (15th ) at the Trade Ministry premises in Colombo to protest against the decision to axe employees. They allege an attempt to hand over the CWE assets to the private sector after sending the employees on compulsory leave.
