President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that he is committed to addressing the issues in the public service. “There are many problems in the public service, semi-public service, corporations and statutory boards that have long been unresolved. Salary and promotion anomalies are some of the problems in the recruitment process. The government is committed to resolving these issues on behalf of employees," he stated. The President was addressing a meeting of representatives of the Trade Union Confederation affiliated to the Sri Lanka People's Front at the Presidential Secretariat last evening (23). The Representatives of Sri Lanka Public Education Services Union, Progressive Public Servants Federation, Commercial Industries and Services Progressive Employees Union, Local Government Progressive Employees Union, Sri Lanka Public Transport Employees Union and All Ceylon Estate Development Trade Union attended the meeting. Appreciating the contribution made by the trade unions affiliated to the Podujana Peramuna to bring the present government to power, the President pointed out that the public service must be made strong, efficient and effective in order to fulfill the aspirations of the people. He said the government was always ready to listen to the unions and work in collaboration with the unions, adding that he would meet with the unions every three months in the near future as the COVID crisis was now being resolved. The President said that former President and current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was a leader who fought for the workers and won their demands. President Rajapaksa urged the union representatives to help the government to eliminate the dependence on the Treasury for all forms of public institution funding and make it an efficient and profitable institution.