Railway workers want Treasury to release funds for staff loans
The All Ceylon Railway Employees General Union (ACREGU) is urging the Finance Ministry Secretary to take immediate action to release monies to get their relief loan without further delaying it.
However, the Financial Ministry sources said that it is highly unlikely that they would take measures to release monies.
The union said that if the Finance Ministry is going to continue to drag their loan they would join hands with the other trade unions to discuss future action.
Unions General Secretary Sumathipala Manawadu told The Island yesterday of the 4,000 employees who requested loans between 2007 and 2008, 2011 employees obtained their loans.
However, Finance Ministry had failed to take steps to provide monies for a loan which is available to all public sector employees. Under this loan we are entitled for a 10 month salary loan with a 4.2 per cent interest rate, he added.
He said that like the public servants they too depend heavily on this loan especially to attend the medical expenses, housing construction and other family welfare.
Manawadu also said that during the last budget too monies were allocated to the relief loan but yet Railway workers were waiting for years to get their loan.
However, Finance Ministry sources said that with prevailing economic situation in the world, the Government is extremely cautious in releasing monies. We are instructed from the top level not to release monies at this juncture, the spokesman added.
Source: The Island
