Graduates protest, demand permanent jobs

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 July 2005, 10:43 GMT]
Thousands of unemployed graduates and those who hold temporary teaching jobs protested in front of the Fort Railway station in Colombo demanding the Sri Lanka Government provide them with peramanent employment, civil source said.



Demonstrators carried placards and shouted slogans against Minister of Education and the Government of Sri Lanka.

The protest organized by the Graduate Employment Union, started in front of the Fort railway and proceeding towards the Financial Ministry but was stopped by the police at the boundary of High security zone.

Heavily armed Special Task Force soldiers and policemen barricaded the main street and provided security around the Presidential residence.

United People Freedom Alliance government promised to provide 42,000 jobs for unemployed graduates, but one year later has created only 3,000 new positions, protesters said.