News
Rail unions defy Govt. call to return to work, say will continue with strike until demands are met
View(s):The Government yesterday issued a fresh ultimatum for railway workers to return to work, but unions have vowed to defy the call.
Railways General Manager S.M Abeywickrema told the Sunday times they have called workers to return to work by Monday or face dismissal.
The railway service was declared an Essential Services by the President on Friday. Mr Abeywickrema said that talks held with the railway unions had not been successful, but they were expecting workers to respond to the call made by the government and return to work.
Commuters try to get into the few trains that were plying to and from Colombo Fort on Friday evening as the strike by Railway trade unions continued. Last night President Maithipala Sirisena through a gazette notification declared rail transport an essential service. Pic by Indika Handuwala
The railways strike was called demanding removing salary anomalies and increase salaries. Locomotive Operating Engineers Union (LOEU) president Lal Paranawithana said that they along with 12 unions have decided to continue trade union action regardless of the calls by the authorities. “If the authorities are thinking of firing workers they have to fire over 3000 officials. The Locomotive operating engineers, the railway guards, the station masters and nine other services providing unions are with us,” he said.
He explained that earlier Prime Minister Ranil Wickrememsinghe had agreed to increase their salaries and remove the anomalies. “Even a cabinet paper was signed and issued but the implementation was delayed because a health sector union had pointed out that if the increase in salary was granted to the Railway workers it would equal the health sector salaries,” he charged.
He said due to the protest by the health union the Prime Minister’s directive was held back. “We do not wish to strike and inconvenience the people but until we achieve our demand the struggle will be continued,” he said.Meanwhile Parliament yesterday rushed through the order made by President Maithripala Sirisena under the Essential Public Services Act making all services handled by the Department of Railways as essential.
The gazette notification in this regards was put to vote and was approved with 127 MPs voting for and 54 against it. Both the JVP and the JO group MPs said they opposed government moves to curb the trade unions rights of the workers by declaring the essential services order.The Government said the Opposition would be given time to debate the Order on Monday when Parliament meets for two hours.