JVP highlights issues at ITN

• Says mismanagement threatening to shut down TV station

By Ashwin Hemmathagama, Our Lobby Correspondent

Labour unrest at the Independent Television Network (ITN) was discussed yesterday in Parliament with Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) demanding explanations and action from the Government to secure the station and return it to profitability with better management.

ITN, which was the first television station in Sri Lanka, established in 1979 as a private venture of Shan Wickremesinghe before being taken over by the Government, has become increasingly popular over the years. However, due to successive Governments making political appointments to the station and badly interfering in operations, the channel has been adversely affected, the JVP said. 

According to JVP MP Anura Dissanayake, the workers took to the streets on 7 January. “The workers’ unrest is mainly due to political appointments made to many administrative positions. The employees fear that ITN will go belly up due to these appointments. Before the regime change in 2015, the ITN operations had incurred a loss of Rs. 225,809,276 to the State coffers. The Presidential Commission reports corruption, misuse of public property, and abuse of authority,” he said.

“With Governments making unqualified and inappropriate appointments to the ITN, the workers fear the station may come to a grinding halt in the days to come. With the attempt to appoint five outsiders to the Deputy General Manager positions, the scheduled internal promotions will come to a stop,” added MP Dissanayake, seeking Government response to list the action taken to solve the issue at ITN, explore the possibility of introducing a recruitment system, the fate of the employee promotions, and the employees interdicted for various issues. 

The Government is expected to respond during the week.