I am always glad that the Textile Garments and Clothing Workers Union and Dabindu Collective has been selected to the NLAC despite the questionable and non-transparent process through which they were selected. They were selected on the basis that they are women lead unions with women membership.
However on what basis was United Federation of Labour a Federation lead by women and having more women membership than both the above Unions put together left out of NLAC?
The NPP Government has its reasons for excluding UFL. We are arguably the strongest voice against what the IMF is doing to this country.
All my life I have stood for women’s solidarity and particularly solidarity between women in the labour movement. However using women to have an NPP Union line up and an NPP corporate line up in the National Labour Advisory Council so that labour policies will be passed in line with the IMF-Corporate agenda without opposition is something even Ranil Wickramasinghe did not do.
The Labour Minister has still time to correct his decision and include the UFL and the CMU two independent non-party affiliated Unions consisting of women membership (and leadership in the case of UFL) if the NPP is serious about a vocal opposition inside the National Labour Advisory Council.
I will wait for the 15th before taking legal steps which will not only affect the credibility of the NPP but will permanently break the solidarity between women lead unions which I was part of building.
P.S When the UFL was excluded from the NLAC by Manusha Nanayakkara several women and men whom currently sit with the NPP including Lakmali Hemachandra Member of Parliament signed the letter supporting the inclusion of UFL in the NLAC. The position of these signatories should not change simply because they are sitting in power.
Swasthika Arulingam
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