• Says Rs. 25,000 pay hike an utter lie

By Ajith Siriwardana  

Claiming that the promise to increase government employees’  salary by Rs. 25,000 is an utter lie, NPP leader Anura Kumara  Dissanayake said yesterday the National People’s Power (NPP) would  provide government servants with salaries proportionate to the cost of  living every six months.   

Speaking at the Development Officers’ National Convention,  he said the government refused to provide a Rs. 25,000 increase citing  insufficient funds when government servants resorted to a strike demanding a  pay hike a few months ago and said if President Ranil Wickremesinghe  really wanted, he could do it even now.  

“How can the government find money to increase salaries in  January as promised? The government could not increase government  employees’ salaries one and a half months ago when they demanded a pay  hike, claiming that there were no funds. This is a lie. Some Rs. 420  billion is needed to increase salary by Rs. 25,000,” he said.  
He said the NPP has included in its election manifesto that  the government employees will be provided with salary increases every six  months in proportionate to the cost of living.  

“It is not an increment given on election time or when  employees resort to strikes. It is an increment which will be given on a  regular basis. The government must take care of government employees. It  is the responsibility of the government to pay a reasonable salary to  the government servants,” he said.