JSS head at Lake House receives death threats from security committee

The Lake House Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) Secretary Sanjeewa Samarasinghe has decided to resign from the institution following the continuous threats and harassments by the heads at Lake House.

It is reliably learnt that Samarasinghe had received death threats from the Lake House Chairman’s “security committee.” Sources also said that Samarasinghe was shocked and saddened by the role played by his colleague and close friend, the provincial news editor of the Dinamina newspaper, Deepal Samarasekera, in the threats that have been issued on him.

Samarasinghe had decided to resign from his job, as he is unable to even tell in public that his one time friend

 has joined forces with the Lake House Chairman and was now harassing him.

A JSS official told us that while a voluntary retirement scheme is being introduced to the Lake House employees next month and Samarasinghe is in a position to leave the institution next month after receiving a compensation payment, he has decided to resign immediately due to the harassment and threats by the Lake House administration.

Samarasinghe’s resignation is one of the best examples to indicate the harassment and vindictiveness of the Lake House Chairman against trade unions at the institution. Although Samarasinghe’s resignation has been accepted by the Lake House administration, they are yet to send a letter to him acknowledging the fact.

It was the JSS that supported Bandula’s appointment as the Chairman of Lake House when the SLFP trade union vehemently opposed it. The Chairman however started to harass the JSS members in the institution as a mark of his gratitude and transferred the JSS secretary to the Anuradhapura Branch.

Although Samarasinghe filed a case before the Supreme Court against his transfer citing political victimization, he could not find redress.