Sri Lanka Mirror learns that Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) is planning to pay its employees half of their salary in May due to the severe economic crisis.
The Chairman of the SLBC Jagath Wickremasinghe and its Director General Chandrapala Liyanage have had a discussion with top SLBC employees and trade unions regarding this matter.
It is said that the salaries of SLBC alone is about Rs. 47 million.
It is said that the SLBC expenses for the month of May is Rs.107 million. It is said that it has exceeded the the average monthly expenditure of the company which is Rs. 87 million.
Reports say that this increase has been caused by the payment of gratuity to a few retired SLBC employees.
Jagath and Chandrapala fail
Employees say that the main reason for the economic downturn is Chairman and the Director General putting political interests ahead of the company's financial stability.
Meanwhile, although the commercial sector's income during the UNP regime has exceeded Rs.40 million, it has been reported that the commercial sector generated only Rs.13 million in the last month.
Meanwhile, Rs. 30 million is provided monthly by the Treasury to maintain the institute.
Employees will starve if salaries were reduced
It is reported that most of the employees of the SLBC have taken loans from various institutions which exceeds 60% of their salary and if their salaries are reduced there will not be any remaining amount for them.
It is said that there are around 842 permanent and contract workers at the SLBC.
Out of these, nearly 100 are employed as contract workers.
Amazing solution of the SLPP union
Meanwhile, internal sources of the SLBC have reported that the trade union affiliated to Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has requested the removal of all employees on contract basis as a solution to this problem.
Trade unions are also planning to appoint former Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe as the Chairman of SLBC once again, SLBC internal sources say.
Eight consultants hired for Rs. 40,000
Meanwhile, it is reported that 8 persons have been recruited for the post of Consultants of the SLBC after the appointment of the present governmentand they are paid Rs.40,000 monthly.
The consultant appointed to engineering section has received severe criticism from the engineering section and it is said that the person who was appointed as the consultant of the programme section has been removed from a private radio channel due to failure in performance.
(Mirror)