The budget presented by the government was the first budget that had provided nothing for the government servants, whereas at least something was granted for them in every budget presented since 2005, former Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) Provincial Councillor K.D. Lal Kantha said.

Mr. Lal Kantha was speaking at a cultural event at the Tower Hall in Colombo.

He said the government had proposed in the budget to remove EPF and ETF from the Treasury and entrust it to another institute by amalgamating them.

“It is mentioned in the budget that the pension of the government servants was a burden and it should be scrapped for government servants, who would be recruited from 2016 January 01. I do not think the trade unions or government servants took note of it,” he said.

He said that the government had made several warnings to government and private sector employees in the budget.

“The government had entrusted the National Trade Union Centre with a big challenge, struggle to safeguard the pension, EPF and ETF, if we could. We will tell Maithri-Ranil Government that we are ready to do so,” he said.

He said even the government openly said that the State sector was a burden and wanted to cut down its size, while former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had not expressed similar sentiments but increased the State sector. (Ajith Siriwardana)