The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) are now in talks with employees about a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to downsize the pay rolls of both institutions and make them commercially viable.

Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarsana Yapa said yesterday that discussions were on between the managements of the two organizations and a cross section of employees and unions to work out a VRS to reduce staffing.

The minister said that no final decision had been taken and those who wished to take early retirement under the VRS would be accommodated if they are considered excess to the staffing needs of the two institutions.

Yapa also said that the compensation to be paid to employees retiring prematurely under the VRS has not yet been decided.

Lake House sources said that all those who wished to leave will not be permitted to retire under the VRS while SLBC sources said that 465 employees had been identified for VRS.

According to SLBC sources a maximum of Rs.1 million would be paid under the VRS while Lake House sources said that the maximum applicable to ANCL under this scheme would be Rs.1.5 million.

Although the minister said that a cabinet paper on the VRS will be submitted shortly, other sources said that cabinet clearance had already been obtained.

ANCL Chairman Bandula Padmakumara said that VRS was commonly applied for institutions with excess staff. SLBC Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe was not available for comment.