The Ceylon Bank Employees Union (CBEU) said that it will endorse the recent salary increase of the employees at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), claiming that banking sector employees are entitled to salary increments following the pressure exerted by the Government’s new tax policy.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (7), the CBEU President Channa Dissanayake noted that no one can blame the CBSL for its decision as they have reasonable grounds to make such decisions, especially being the country’s main financial institution with financial experts and other foremost figures in the monetary sector. He also said that, in a context where around 100 of its officials have either left the country or the CBSL due to salary-related issues or other issues, the CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and its Governing Board have the responsibility to take the necessary measures to carry out their functions without any obstruction. Dissanayake also said that many parties that criticise the CBSL’s decision would not identify the problems faced by the banking community due to the Government’s ‘repressive’ tax policy, stating that the Parliament’s conduct and attitude on this matter cannot be accepted. “As a Union, we will not accept how the Parliament dealt with this matter. We think that the Parliament should not summon the CBSL officials to inquire about the matter when the CBSL has exercised the power given by the relevant Legislation,” he claimed.
Recent media reports revealed that the CBSL had increased the salaries of its employees by 70%, and the move was heavily criticised by Parliamentarians of both the ruling parties and the Opposition, following which the CBSL officials were summoned before the Cabinet of Ministers, the party leaders’ meeting, and the Committee on Public Finance.
On 25 February, the CBSL requested the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, for an opportunity to apprise the MPs, through an appropriate Parliamentary Committee, of the recent salary increment which came under fire. The request was made in writing by the CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.
Issuing a release in this regard, the CBSL had explained that the latest revision of the remuneration of its employees had been approved by the Governing Board under the triennial collective agreement entered into with the unions covering the 2024–2026 period.