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Wildlife Guards to protest DG’s decision to scrap OT

21 Sep 2022

BY Buddhika Samaraweera   The All-Island Wildlife Guard Officers' Union (AIWGOU) is to commence a trade union (TU) protest action by withdrawing from all hazardous duties such as chasing away wild elephants from 23 September onwards, following a decision taken by the Director General (DG) of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) not to allow Wildlife Field Assistants and Boat Operators to work overtime (OT) after 6 p.m., due to which, the union claims, all activities such as driving away wild elephants, rescuing animals in danger, and night patrols will be disrupted. Speaking to the media, AIWGOU General Secretary Thilina Sandaruwan said that through a letter dated 7 September 2022, the said DG has informed that the above employees will not be allowed to work under OT after 6 p.m. However, he said that the majority of the DWC employees are receiving OT payments, and that more than half of the field officers are engaged in OT duties. “Usually, the officers of the DWC have to carry out many duties at night. For instance, activities such as driving away wild elephants, rescuing endangered animals, and patrolling are carried out at night. The DWC is well aware of this. However, through the decision to not allow the Field Assistants and Boat Operators to work under OT after 6 p.m., more than half of the workers who contribute to reducing the human-elephant conflict and protecting the environment will be removed from such duties,” claimed Sandaruwan. He further stated that after the above workers will be off from work after 6 p.m. due to the non-payment of OT, the few workers remaining in the Wildlife Conservation offices cannot perform duties like driving away wild elephants. Therefore, he said, the AIWGOU has decided to withdraw from all hazardous duties in view of the shortage of workers due to the non-payment of OT to the relevant officers, with effect from 23 September. DWC DG Chandana Sooriyabandara was unavailable for comment on the matter. Every year, many human and elephant deaths and property damages are reported due to wild elephants that break into villages at night. The field officers of the DWC drive away such elephants that thus break in. Apart from this, these officers also rescue animals such as leopards, elephants, deer, and elk that are caught in traps set in different areas and fall into cultivated wells.


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