• Mass Media Min. slams strikes as arbitrary and counterproductive 

The Joint Postal Trade Union Front has announced that it will commence a strike action by withdrawing from all overtime (OT) duties at post offices and administrative offices across the island.

The strike was scheduled to commence at 12 midnight yesterday (15).

According to the front, the decision has been prompted by the lack of systematic recruitment within the postal service since 2016.

“It is unacceptable that postal workers have decided to engage in trade union action despite holding several rounds of discussions,” said the Cabinet Spokesperson and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. 

Responding to a question raised at the weekly Cabinet press briefing held yesterday, he stated that resorting to trade union action in this manner would not benefit the postal service, especially at a time when the Government is actively intervening to solve relevant issues. Dr. Jayatissa stated that the Department of Posts is currently operating at a loss, and stressed that what the country needs is not the same department it had a century ago, but a modernised postal service capable of competing with commercial institutions. 

Dr. Jayatissa added that if the department generates profit, the country benefits through the Treasury and also noted that strikes like these only push the department a step or two backward, making it harder to regain the loss of public trust. 

Dr. Jayatissa further commented saying: “Some demands cannot be resolved immediately. We are constantly engaged in discussions. But, the strikes being carried out from time to time are actually harming their own service. Due to the ongoing competition, you are destroying the postal service by engaging in 24-hour and 48-hour strikes. These actions are not fair, especially without proper discussions. These strikes cannot be approved. In the past, frequent strikes have made it impossible to reach the desired financial targets.”