- Postmaster Gen. and subject Min. call for end to ‘unreasonable’ union action
- Post TUs shun accountability by refusing use of biometric sign-in
The strike action initiated by the Postal and Telecommunications Officers’ Union, together with the United Postal Trade Unions’ Front (UPTUF), continued for the second consecutive day yesterday (18).
According to the Unions’ representatives, the strike is based on 19 key demands. These include the payment of overtime (OT) allowances for postal officers and opposition to the directive requiring officers in administrative and accounts offices to record attendance using fingerprint machines.
The strike commenced at 4 p.m. on 17 August at the Colombo Central Mail Exchange and escalated into a continuous, island-wide strike covering postal and administrative offices from midnight onwards.
As a result, all postal services were disrupted yesterday, said the Co-Convenor of the UPTUF, Chinthaka Bandara.
However, speaking at a press conference in Colombo, Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara said that launching such a strike was unreasonable, as many of the employees’ demands had already been met. Amidst the ongoing union action by postal service employees, Sathkumara urged the unions to encourage their members to understand the importance of being receptive to Government policies such as the fingerprint system, which he stressed is essential to the smooth functioning of the postal service. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, he said that the ongoing strike hinders efforts to address long-standing issues within the postal service.
“We spend more on OT and salaries than we earn as income. In that context, we too have a responsibility to cover these costs. With rising salaries and OT payments, there is a risk of the current loss of around Rs. 4 billion increasing to Rs. 10-12 billion. We can calculate the financial loss caused by strikes in a single day, but, the long-term impact, such as customers leaving the postal service, is more difficult to measure, especially since this is a competitive sector where private companies are offering similar services,” he said.
He also noted that over 200 audit inquiries had been conducted in the past year, the majority of which involved employees claiming salaries and OT without recording attendance through the fingerprint system. According to Sathkumara, of the 19 demands put forward by the striking employees, 17 have already been discussed with follow-up actions underway. Questioning the justifiability of strike action in such a context, he stressed that strikes should be a last resort, not a first step when issues can be resolved through discussions.
Meanwhile, Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that even short absences from work, whether for a few hours or a full day, will result in a loss of revenue for the Department of Posts. He further added: “This places an additional burden on the Treasury. In the future, this could affect scheduled salary increases or OT payments. Therefore, I consider this an unjust strike. At a time when the Postal Department is recruiting the necessary number of employees, providing required vehicles, implementing digitalisation, and ensuring salary increases, I urge all employees not to continue with this disruptive strike.” In addition, Minister Dr. Jayatissa urged employees to acknowledge the current circumstances, resume their duties, perform their best service, and help make the department a profitable institution.
PHOTO Ishan Sanjeewa