The National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) alleged that the letter sent by Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera was not a request but an order as the Government had deducted a day’s salary from state employees of several key institutions without informing them. NTUC General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe stressed that the employees of Samurdhi, Education, Postal, and Defence Staff were being forced to give their consent for said salary deduction. Several letters ordering employees to offer a day’s salary had been sent by the heads of several institutions, Jayasinghe alleged. According to him, the letters have been sent by an accountant of the Samurdhi Department (Samurdhi Authority) to their employees. Furthermore, a day’s salary had already been deducted from the employees of the Department of Posts. The Sabaragamuwa Provincial Secretary to the Ministry of Education had sent such a letter to schools in the province, while the Eastern Provincial Secretary too had sent such a letter to all state institutions in the province. Jayasinghe also emphasised that there was an attempt to deduct a day’s salary from the tri-forces and the Police as well. “There are several such incidents where the employees are being ordered to offer a day’s salary by using the letter written by Dr. Jasundera, which cannot be accepted,” he stressed. Moreover, the NTUC had urged the President, Prime Minister, and Cabinet of Ministers to take immediate steps to prevent such incidents in the future. By Maheesha Mudugamuwa