Employees of the National Housing Development Authority have decided on union action in protest against the administration’s negligence of their promotions and salary increments.

Their union alleges that promotions for lower strata employees had been delayed for ten years and despite the fact that increments had been recommended in a Circular around one hand a half years ago, nothing had been done.

"We have been deprived of our rights. The Management Circular No 30 was issued one and a half years ago but our salaries have not been increased. The excuse given is that the government has no funds but the management keeps on continuing to recruit its henchmen to the top posts in the Authority," President of the union, W. N.A. Wijewardena told The Island yesterday.

He alleged that a deputy general manager had been specially appointed for the purpose of implementing the circular, but nine months had lapsed with nothing done. "Whenever we meet up with the administration, the excuse they dish out is that approval of the National Salaries and Cadre Commission is needed. Then how is the administration continuing to absorb hundreds of its henchmen. From where did they obtain the approval for that?" he askrd.

Wijewardena alleged that the administration’s recruiting spree had resulted in a surplus number of employees in the NHDA. "The administration also re-recruits its cronies on contract basis. Hundreds of others have been brought in. Most of them are political appointments. Our increments and promotions are delayed and overtime payments have been pruned down.

The administration has cut off over time payments of sanitary workers too on the same excuse that the Authority has no funds."

He said that the Union has decided to resort to trade union action over the above demands and several other demands including punishment of top level officers found guilty for misusing public funds. "We will seek alliances with other unions to exert pressure on the administration and would join forces with public sector unions in their struggle demanding a Rs 5,000 pay hike."

Chairman of the NHDA, M. I . Mohammed Rafeek, was not available for comment.

Secretary to the Ministry of Housing Development and Common Amenities, W. B. Ganegala denied the union’s allegations. He said that no political appointments were made and Housing Minister Ferial Ashraff had never allowed anyone to interfere with appointments to the Authority. He admitted that there was a surplus of employees but that was nothing new. "A trustworthy person was re-recruited for the post of deputy general manager after his retirement but he had completed a massive load of work that had been delayed in the Authority for years. This is the only union that has complaints. There are many other stronger unions which have not made these charges. Increasing salaries now cannot be done at anybody’s will or just because the unions demand it. Now it is up to the National Salaries and Cadre Commission. The previous administrations did not even bother to send details of increments to the Commission, but we have completed that task too for the benefit of NHDA employees," Ganegala added.