• Protest actions expand to addl. sectors striking including docs, academics, non-academics, banks including CBSL, railways, ports, electricity, postal, edu.   
• Railways employees leave cancelled indefinitely
• Bandula says sabotaging essentials tantamount to ‘treason’   

Trade unions (TUs) affiliated with many crucial sectors including health, ports, electricity, banking, railways, ports, education and higher-education have decided to support the islandwide strike which is to be launched from today (15), The Daily Morning learned.

Following talks held on Monday (13) between the governmental authorities and the collective of trade unions representing professionals, the latter, which are engaged in various trade union actions against the Government’s recent tax hikes, ending inconclusively, the professionals’ trade unions are continuing with their actions including strikes as planned since yesterday (14). The unions said that further actions are to be taken unless the Government makes the decision to reduce the heavy tax rates, electricity tariffs, and interest rates. Speaking to the media yesterday in Colombo, the relevant trade unions said that they will continue the strike until they receive a positive response from the Government’s end.

The Media Spokesman of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said yesterday at a media briefing that the trade unions meeting held with the President’s Secretary and the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury ended in confusion, but that the government officials had promised to make President Ranil Wickremesinghe aware of the demands of the trade unions, and to provide with a positive response by last evening. He also noted that they hoped that the President would not allow today to be another day such as those in July, 1980. According to the Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge, who spoke to the media following the meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, the discussion held between the Government and the trade union collective of professionals on Monday evening had ended unsuccessfully as conclusive solutions were not tabled by the Government in order for the professionals to terminate their ongoing trade union actions. However, even though the meeting was unfruitful, the Government’s side had – according to him – responded positively to the alternatives that were proposed earlier to boost State revenue. The officials who joined the discussion had assured the trade union collective of professionals that they would be given a political solution by yesterday after an analytical report on Monday’s meeting was submitted to the President. The meeting was attended by the President’s Secretary, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, the Senior Economic Advisor to the President and several other officials of the Finance Ministry.

Meanwhile, the GMOA continued their strike which started on Monday for the second consecutive day yesterday, expanding it to five Provinces apart from the four Provinces where they started on Monday. The GMOA expanded its token strike to the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Northern, North Central, and Uva Provinces yesterday. On Monday, their strike action brought the functions at all Government hospitals in the Western, Southern, Eastern and North Western Provinces to a standstill.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Freedom Employees Union – Ports, Prassana Kalutharage said that the strike was extremely successful as it is reported that only 25% of the operations are taking place due to the strike. He further said that the Ports Authority has lost 75% of its total income.

The Co-Secretary of the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU), Buddhika Wijayawardhana noted that while continuing the strike for a week, they are waiting for the Government’s response to the related matters.

Responding to the gazette issued by the President’s Secretary making the postal service an essential service, the Convenor of the United Postal Service Trade Union Front, Chinthaka Bandara said that they would engage in trade union actions from yesterday midnight as planned.

Speaking to the media, the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), Joseph Stalin confirmed that they will support the strike without any hesitation, adding that the main objective of their actions is to give a strong message to the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa (the latter, a reference to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, incumbent Government Parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister and incumbent Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa) Government over its autocratic behaviour. He also claimed that almost all the trade unions affiliated with the education sector would join the strike.

Several other major trade unions and professional associations such as the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), the All Ceylon Nurses' Union (ACNU) and the Locomotive Operating Engineers' Association of the Sri Lanka Railways are also joining the strike.

Meanwhile, the President of the FUTA, Prof. Shyama Banneheka said that university lecturers are engaging in a continuous strike as conclusive solutions were not provided for their demands.

The Central Bank Trade Union Alliance is scheduled to stage an island-wide token strike today. Issuing a statement in this regard, the Union noted that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) will also be joining the token strike to be staged today by the Professionals’ Trade Union Alliance (PUTA). Thus, they alerted the public of possible disruptions within the Employees’ Provident Fund Department, cash counters and regional offices. “We regret any inconvenience caused by this action”, the statement concluded.

The Education Non-Academics Employees’ Union too will launch a strike today.

The Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Association of the Railways Department was scheduled to launch a 24-hour strike yesterday. Accordingly, the Chairman of the relevant trade union confirmed that the Association will stage a strike for 24 hours from midnight yesterday.

However, ahead of the planned strike action, Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said that the leave of all categories of staff in the Department of Railways has been cancelled until further notice with effect from yesterday.

Further, several trade unions in the Railways Department have announced that their members would not join the planned token strike today, said the General Manager of Railways W.A.D.S. Gunasinghe, adding that discussions were held with all trade unions in the sector. Those that have not pledged support for the collective trade union actions include the Railway Guards’ Union, the Station Masters’ Union, the Railway Controllers’ Association and several other trade unions. Gunasinghe said that a request made from the Locomotive Engine Operators’ Union to call off their 24-hour token strike today has fallen on deaf ears. Hence, the Railways Chief has notified all the heads of the Department to submit a report of the employees who do not report to work today, after asking them to show cause.

The Railways service was declared an essential service in a special gazette notification issued by President Wickremesinghe on 27 February.

However, expressing the stance of the Government at the Cabinet media briefing held yesterday, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Bandula Gunwardana said that any act to sabotage the essential services in the country will be termed as treason, and that strict action would be taken.

Collective of trade union actions are taking place this week, with unions from various sectors joining to protest against the recently imposed tax revisions, the electricity tariff hike and the incumbent Government. The trade union collective of professionals stated that the strike action initially planned to take place this week will continue as scheduled, as Monday’s meeting with the Government was not fruitful.