Employees of CWE demand pay increase

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 12:03 GMT]
Employees of all Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) outlets held islandwide demonstrations between 10 am and 12 pm Wednesday opposite their respective Retail Outlets demanding an increase of their salaries. Mr S Charles, an employee at the CWE Vauvuniya said: "With diminishing stocks in our outlet employees are concerned about their future and the Government of Sri Lanka is ignoring our plight."

In Vavuniya, the 28 employees of the CWE stood with placards urging the Sri Lanka Governmnet to give them the promised salary increase.

The Rs.2500 increase granted by the Government has not been extended to the CWE employees. Consequently, 3,200 employees are undergoing untold hardships, according to the Trade Union officials. The union has also demanded that the Outlets should be taken over back by the Government.

During the demonstration all retail outlets will remain open without inconveniencing the consumers said the Trade Union Consortium which organized the campaign.