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6 May hartal will hit public, not politicos: Private bus owners

03 May 2022

BY Dinitha Rathnayake With the announcement of an islandwide hartal to be held on Friday (6), Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne urged trade unions (TUs) not to pressurise the general public by engaging in such. Trade unions have planned to launch a nationwide hartal on Friday, taking the ongoing people’s struggle one step further. However, speaking at a media conference, Wijeratne said that it is not the people who should have to suffer by these actions, but the politicians.  “I think that it is not the politicians, but the general public who suffer from these trade union actions. However, we have a responsibility towards the people.” According to Wijeratne, the LPBOA is not registered under the Labour Department as a trade union.  “Our association is not a trade union and it is registered under the Department of the Registrar of Companies. So it is not a must to follow the trade union action. We have decided to park our buses around Parliament to show our displeasure over the Government without participating in the hartal; however, drivers and conductors are free to attend the protests,” he said. He further added that the association would provide free buses for peaceful protestors that march for 20 km. The National Trade Union Alliance clarified its future steps on Friday, with National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) Member K.D. Lal Kantha pointing out, at a media briefing, that no matter who struggles, the reality is that the only answer left is to grant the people an election, thereby giving the people a new chance to participate in politics and to give them a new administration to create political stability in the country. He emphasised that political stability is the only answer towards reaching economic stability within Sri Lanka. NTUC Convener Wasantha Samarasinghe, also addressing the said press briefing, said that the hartal will be staged in the hope of success for the people and their struggle. Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe, speaking at the same forum, said that the only demand of the people is for the Government, including President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, to step down without further oppressing the people. Development Officers’ Service Association General Secretary Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, also addressing the same gathering, said that Friday’s hartal will be a message to the people of the entire country that the working people are united and will carry the struggle forward until the Government steps down. All-Ceylon Medical Officers Association Secretary Dr. Jayantha Bandara also added at the press conference that health workers too will join the hartal on Friday without any trade union-based division.


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