OUTSOURCING - A BAD IDEA: NWSDB UNIONS

Unions of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) yesterday warned that the NWSDB would become a lossmaking enterprise such as the Ceylon Electricity Board, due to heavy losses of more than Rs.10 million incurred each month due to the outsourcing of its services to private companies.

The Water Supply and Drainage Services Union said NWSDB employees feared it would soon become a loss-making institu- tion and that the outsourcing would result in wastage and corruption.

General Secretary and Water Board Engineer Upali Ratnayake said the NWSDB had earlier only outsourced services such as transport and security but now the outsourcing had been extended to the basic services provided by the NWSDB such as providing new domestic water connections and the repairing of water lines.

“When they outsource the most basic du-

The Water Board has over 12,000 employees and there are new recruitments each year. With such a large labour force why should we outsource these functions?

ties of the Water Board a lot of employees become idle. The Water Board has over 12,000 employees and there are new recruitments each year. With such a large labour force why should we outsource these functions? The outsourcing has gone beyond limits.” he charged.

He said continued outsourcing to private companies would be detrimental to the NWSDB and that skilled and technical officers would face a threat of losing their jobs. “We are losing millions each month and the Water Board is likely to fall apart if we continue to outsource our most important duties,” he said.

A letter had yesterday been sent to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena hoping for an immediate response, failing which they would resort to trade union action, he said.