By Aisha Nazim
Unemployed graduates today launched a protest campaign opposite the Public Administration Ministry against the government’s decision to not provide employment for people who graduated in the years 2010 and 2011.
Around 100 unemployed graduates gathered outside the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs this afternoon, and held up placards demanding government jobs should be provided for all unemployed graduates, regardless of which year they passed out of university.
The Combined Association of Unemployed Graduates (CAUG) convener, Dhammika Munasinghe, told Ceylon Today Online the Public Administration Ministry had issued a circular on 4 July which had stated that employment would not be provided for those who graduated within the last couple of years. Munasinghe alleged no reason was given for the sudden decision, and that it was extremely unfair that only those particular graduates should not be given employment.
“Some of those who graduated in 2010 and 2011 had already received jobs by the time this circular was issued. Now the rest of the graduates are left hanging without hope,” he said. However, the government has already provided employment for approximately 40,000 of the unemployed graduates, though a further 5,000 or so remain. (Ceylon Today Online)
