Workers have protested plans to sell off a profit earning dairy farm in the highlands while the government says that it would only privatise loss making public institutions.
Staff of the dairy farm in Agarapathana, Bopaththalawa that operates under the National Livestock Development Board carried out the protest whilst emphasizing that privatizing the state owned enterprise would be an injustice to workers.
They further stated that the lives of 150 workers’ purely depend on this institution even though they worked for a lower wage without ever requesting a pay rise.
“We have protected this place like our heart. The salary here is Rs.40 and now it’s Rs.600. We work for Rs.600 because we really want to protect this place,” said female worker at the protest.
She called upon officials to stop privatizing the dairy farm.
“Mr. President please listen to us, Minister of National Livestock Development Board please listen to us. Please listen to what we are saying and talk about this while keeping our situation in mind and give us a proper solution.”
The dairy farm in Agarapathana, Bopaththalawa, has earned 60 Million profit within the first six months of this year, say the workers. However, according to them, the farm administrators were not aware about the government plan.
Video footage sent by the provincial reporters shows protesters chanting, “Stop selling profit earning institutions for two cents, authorities please help us to protect Bopaththalawa, Is this a plan of the government to weaken the local dairy supply? Is it a policy of the government to privatize the institutions that earn profits? Three generations are facing the dangerous consequences of privatization. Immediately suspend the plan to privatize the profit generating dairy farm in Bopaththalawa, Immediately remove the gazette that was made for privatization”.
The President’s view
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that loss-making state institutions should be privatized.
In addition to Sri Lankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Insurance and Telecom can be sold off, he told “The Economist”. By disposing of some state assets, the president expects to earn ‘about $2bn-3bn’.
“What we do with the petroleum corporation is another question,” said President Wickremesinghe adding “we’ll open up investments, but we have to talk to all holders of concessions because some have been running for over 40 years”.
When questioned about trade union opposition to privatisation of state owned enterprises, “I don’t worry about unions, what matters is people,” said Ranil Wickremesinghe.
