BY Buddhika Samaraweera
Railway station masters islandwide are to go on a continuous strike action from 27 December over several issues including the station masters’ promotion-related issues and the failure of the Railways Department to rectify faults in railway signal systems and repair decrepit train compartments, according to the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU).
When contacted by The Morning last Sunday (19), SLRSMU General Secretary Kasun Chamara said that taking into account a number of issues that are yet to be resolved, despite multiple communications made to the authorities regarding the same, station masters islandwide have decided to go on a continuous strike action from 27 December.
He claimed that the granting of promotions to about 700 station masters has been delayed for a long time due to shortcomings in the Railways Department, which will, according to him, make the process of giving promotions to station masters for the year 2022 problematic.
Chamara also claimed that the Railways Department and present Railways General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara have been informed on a number of occasions regarding the hazardous operation of railway signal systems.
“We have pointed out that the Railway Telegraph Office, which is significantly important in operating railway signals, needs to be modernised under the new communication system that is to be introduced, but so far, the Railways Department has not taken necessary steps to do so, despite the possibility of repairing it within a short period of two days,” claimed Chamara.
In addition, he charged that the Railways Department is placing passengers at risk by using decrepit train compartments and emphasised the need for such compartments to be repaired immediately, thereby ensuring safe transport facilities for all passengers.
According to Chamara, the SLRSMU has also requested the Railways Department that some study be carried out into the proposed project to modernise the railway line between the Mahawa and Omanthai Railway Stations and for the said project to be thereby redesigned. Elaborating on this project, he said that plans are afoot to remove the railway line between the two aforesaid stations and to construct a new one under this project. However, if the project can be redesigned in a way that enables it to keep the existing line and build a new one, thereby making it a double railway line, it will bring more benefits, he claimed.
However, Jayasundara, on an earlier occasion, told The Morning that it is not possible to make changes to the project, as an agreement has already been signed with an Indian company regarding it. Nevertheless, he said it is hoped to get the views and suggestions of all parties in the Railways Department in planning such projects in the future.
The railway station masters attached to the Railway Telegraph Office in Maradana engaged in a 24-hour token strike from 13 December midnight, citing the same issues.
Station masters to go on continued strike from 27 December
20 Dec 2021
Station masters to go on continued strike from 27 December
20 Dec 2021
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