Trade unions of Sri Lanka Telecom have launched an island wide token strike today (16) over several demands including the removal of current SLT Chairman Pallewatte Gamaralalage Kumarasinghe Sirisena, the brother of President Maithripala Sirisena.
Kumarasinghe Sirisena
SLT trade unions allege that under Sirisena’s watch the institution had lost Rs. 50 billion due to short-sighted decisions and wasteful expenditure. They said a handful of senior officials working hand in glove with Kumarasinghe Sirisena are responsible for the current state of affairs within the institution.
Trade unions also stated that SLT had obtained a staggering amount of bank loans under Sirisena’s instructions for no apparent reason. They added that Sirisena’s decisions had jeopardized the future of all SLT workers.
Eight trade unions have come together as a common front under the name “Protest Sri Lanka Telecom – Trade Union Collective” to launch TU action against Sirisena who was appointed soon after his brother’s appointment as the President.
President Maithripala Sirisena is currently the minister in charge of Sri Lanka Telecom as the institution was not under any Ministry on December 29. Ajith P Perera functions as the non-Cabinet Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure.
Since his appointment as SLT Chairman, Kumarasinghe Sirisena has run into many controversies including a decision to increase his own salary through a board paper. Sirisena, in March 2015, sought a salary increase that gave him a monthly income of approximately 2.4 million rupees (from SLT and Mobitel) while many SLT workers had issues relating to their salaries and bonuses.
There are also questions about Sirisena’s suitability to run the government’s biggest telecommunications company. At the time he was appointed the SLT Chairman, Sirisena had no experience in the telecommunication sector or any related field.
He had experience as CEO/General Manager of the State Timber Corporation and he had also worked as a Board Director at Land Reclamation & Development Company Ltd and L.R.D.C. Services (Pvt) Ltd. Kumarasingha Sirisena had also worked as Financial Consultant at Araliya Group of Companies (Pvt) Ltd, owned by Dudley Sirisena.
Sirisena had held all senior positions in the government after his brother, Maithripala Sirisena, became a Cabinet minister in 1997.
Related posts:
Sirisena Brother, Pallewatta Gamaralalage Kumarasinghe Sirisena Appointed As SLT Chairman
Exposé: President Sirisena Resorts To Half-Truths To Conceal His Brother’s Greed
Craig / January 16, 2019
This appointment of his brother was one of the first actions (or contradictions) he took on as our new President in 2015. Sadly there were no protests about this. Perhaps the euphoria engulfed all to remain oblivious to what had been done.These trade unionists are brave to take on the President and his brother. I wish it happened during the previous regime too: Trade Unionists taking on the former president and his brothers!
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Amarasiri / January 16, 2019
Dear SLT Trade Unions, and the People of Sri Lanka,
What Sirisena’s brother and hisgang is doing to SLT, Sirisena is doing to the country. You all saw some of it on Oct 26th, with the illegal and unconstitutional acts by the Traitor, Quisling, Sevalya, Mala-Perethaya and Pachaya Sirisena.
Please initiate a nationwide strike to initiate the impeachment of Sirisena and punish the culprits of the coup.
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Native Vedda / January 16, 2019
Craig
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Where is the STF, send in and teach these protesters a lesson they will not forget.
The brave members of STF/Police put down all protests including Welikada Prison, Weliweirya, free trade zones, Chilaw, …. and the crooked former Navy Chief would be ideal person to muscle in the media with his neck snap.
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Muhandiram / January 16, 2019
Living by the Saying “Make hay while the Sun shines”.
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rbh / January 16, 2019
To undermine such are the hidden ingredients in the prescription and put all blame of doctor/UNP this is one of the decision of Oct 26 when matters are to be conceal they will go to distract to extremes. But the direction of such wind cannot be changed when history coming in to life
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anonymous / January 16, 2019
Impeach President, sack Kumarasinghe and confiscate all their assets until a proper investigation is carried out against the acquired wealth since ‘Gamarala’ coming to power. That investigation should include, Adaham Sirisena, Chathurika and her fraudster hubby. Ban them from leaving the country until proven ‘Not Guilty’. Over to you Thalatha, if Gamini was alive and held your post, nothing nothing of this sort would happened. Have courage girl. Sira, Mara, Basra and Gotha are goners.
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Muslim / January 16, 2019
Go on with the strike until he is removed as it is a appointment based on nepotism. Sirisena s like Rajapaksas are having it all ,it is the poor and the middle class who are suffering .
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mj / January 16, 2019
why waited this long to realizes.or did gave time to rob the telecom.
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Renu / January 16, 2019
People will support you if you can get rid of another insane fellow from Gamaralalage Family
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Silva / January 16, 2019
Sirisena is taking high moral grounds and preaching to others but not to his kits and kins. All the rules apply to others not to them. When his brother was appointed the Chairman of SLT, the total worth of shares of SLT was valid at SLR 90 billions, now it’s gone done to SLR 34 billions. The majority shares’ owner, the national treasury and the other major shares’ owner Maxis Telecom of Malaysia, lost a huge sum of their investment portfolio. Who is going to repay these losses to them. Kumarasiri Sirisena and his gang are driving SLT to the ground. MR’s brother in law fucked Sri Lankan Airline and Sirisena’s bother is fucking SLT. On top of it, the joker, Dudley Sirisena, the other brother of Sirisena, the rice and sand mafia king, going to form an anti – corruption out to fight and eradicate corruptions, what a joke, and it’s the joke of the century. These scoundrels don’t know the meaning of corruption, for them it’s honky dory for others it’s bad and illegal. God only should save SL from these blood sucking greedy vultures. It’s high time for people to rise up, and get ride of theses parasites.
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anonymous / January 17, 2019
“When his brother was appointed the Chairman of SLT, the total worth of shares of SLT was valid at SLR 90 billions, now it’s “
This man forcefully entered the office and took over the position, the following day of his brother ‘Gomarala’ took oaths as the president. Typical ‘Weli Sira, Haal Sira & Co.’ mentality. Don’t worry, they will have to pay everything back soon, until then. These guys aren’t sleeping well these days. “Ditta Damma Vedaneeya”. Suwapath Weva!
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Vijekumar / January 18, 2019
Disgusting where is Buddhist sasana? Corruption. Extra judicial killings and looting is a norm of the Buddhist country. Burma another Buddhist country slaughtering Muslims and Thailand another Buddhist country highest number of prostitudes in the world. I don’t care but don’t call yourself as a Buddhist.
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K.Pillai / January 16, 2019
What made the SLT Trade Unions to wake up from a three year sleep “……..Demanding Removal Of President’s Unqualified Brother Kumarasinghe Sirisena”?
Was it the ‘happenings’ following the putsch of 26 October?
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Fathima / January 16, 2019
Best way to Strike is taking passengers to destination free of charge. Instead of striking by harming passengers, if CTB starts to do the strike in this manner, everyone going by buses will call each minister and pressure them to look after the need of CTB.
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VJ / January 16, 2019
This is a problem of the position. During the former regime, more than 70 key positions were occupied by relatives of MR. Sirisena is doing exactly what he promised he will not do. He and his family will be amongst the Forbes 500 if not already listed. His term is nearing the end and he is hoping to get a second term. Unless we do away with the executive presidency now, this kind of impunity will continue.
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JD / January 16, 2019
This is Saying President go and to UNP and establish SAMUHA AANDUWA. right now UNP MPs disoriented and they do not agree whether they all lose or they will win a majority govt. This is why Trade unions and local councils are not needed in different colours. Destroy all those. The whole system is a FRAUD
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justice / January 17, 2019
How many public servants earn Rs 2.5 Million per month?
This is outrageous.
All state ‘enterprises’ are like this probably – hence the state of Sri Lanka’s economy.
Nepotism rules.
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Sirisena / January 17, 2019
This fellow and the so called pakaya President should be kicked out there was a famous story that gamarralas brother was axed to death while having illicit sex with a married woman gamarala did not attend the funeral and also probably this same
man visited gamarala when he was appointed President and he was chased away but he appointed his other brother for SLT all these are personal likes of gamarala. It is time that we getogethee and send this pakaya home
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roger / January 17, 2019
sirisena is answerable for all these losses. Every one new this joker without any experience and with some diplomas who said he was learning about telecom when he was appointed can run an institution of that nature. Modaya sirisena should realize that he doesnot have the capacity to run this country. He is mentally not suitable even to be a good GS
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K.Pillai / January 17, 2019
The ‘strike’ has not had any effect. Was it a tickle to wake up SLT Unions?
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Vijekumar / January 18, 2019
Don’t they read these columns? Or they are illiterate. Someone can translate and pass the copies.
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