According to media reports quoting Labour Ministry Secretary R. P. A. Wimalaweera, not a single Trade Union (TU) leader has submitted assets and liabilities declarations so far, although the stipulated period had long expired. He said it is mandatory under the Assets and Liabilities Act for all TU leaders and officials to submit their assets and liabilities declarations to the Labour Commissioner but this has not happened so far.
According to the Secretary, there are around 2,000 such TU leaders attached to the Government and semi-Government Organisations. These TU leaders are seen on TV agitating for various demands or protesting against the Government’s attempts to dispose of State assets, although the details of their own assets are hidden from the public. It is time that the TU leaders are made to account for their assets, so that the public will be convinced of their bona fides when they stage agitations.
These TU leaders have been vocal about Parliamentarians failing to declare their assets. This is all the more reason why they should set an example and duly furnish all information pertaining to their wealth. Instead, they are using a loophole in the relevant laws to avoid declaring their assets, exposing their own double standards. There is good reason to suspect that most TU leaders are well-heeled and are in the pockets of political leaders in return for doing the latter’s bidding. Some TU leaders are also seen travelling in luxury vehicles which under normal circumstances they can ill-afford. Recently during the teachers’ strike, teachers and principals came in vehicle parades for their demonstrations.
TU leaders representing teachers are also often seen holding press conferences in plush venues, which also tells a tale. It is also no secret that some anti-Government TUs receive foreign funds. The sources of funding received for the Aragalaya where TU leaders were in the forefront are now gradually being exposed which goes to show the extent to which NGOs and foreign financial backing goes into most anti-Government protest movements. Ditto for all recent TU agitations against decisions by the Government to enter into Public-Private Partnerships in the divestiture of State enterprises.
Some time ago it was reported in the media how a certain TU leader was an honoured guest at an Embassy party. Hence, these TU leaders who pose as paragons of virtue and claim to be champions of protecting State assets are only play-acting - from all available evidence. It would therefore not be a bad idea for the laws to be amended making it compulsory for TU leaders to periodically furnish their assets and liabilities declarations. After all, sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. If it is good enough for MPs to be called upon to declare their assets, the same also should apply for TU leaders and all State officials. The sources of their true incomes should be ferreted out, and, if unaccounted for, should be exposed and made to carry the consequences.
In fact, the financial sources of all anti-Government agitators should be brought to light. Such individuals cannot be expected to carry out such a sustained campaign without substantial financial resources at their command. This is more so when one considers reports of sums received by prominent Aragalaya activists of which more details are coming to light. The huge amount of money in the possession of a member of the Sangha said to be remitted to his account from Guatemala could well be the tip of the iceberg in a massive campaign orchestrated from abroad to undermine the Government. The recent attempts to insult Buddhism and other religious faiths is another aspect the authorities should delve deep into. Such campaigns obviously cannot take place without massive financial backing from certain quarters.
The Government has quite rightly widened the tax net to get doctors, lawyers, engineers and other professionals to pay taxes based on their true incomes. They will each now have to open a file with the Inland Revenue Department which will be closely watching their transactions. Hitherto these professionals failed to declare their true incomes and thus deprived the State of due tax revenue. For instance, no record was hitherto available giving details of how much a lawyer charged his/her clients or a General Practitioner received from his/her patients.
Now they will all have to come clean. Likewise, all those who hitherto had hidden their true incomes should be roped in and this should include TU leaders. All that the public sees is TU leaders leading strikes and agitations and taking up issues that are far removed from their own mandate. How much money has passed hands is not known to the public. TU leaders should be able to walk the talk. The TU leaders who demand asset declarations from politicians should lead from the front. There are also politicians cum TU leaders who are financially sustained on the subscription fees of workers who live in vast numbers especially in the plantations. A probe is necessary to ascertain where this massive amount of money is going and if the workers’ causes are being truly served.
