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Railway and postal unions warn of general strike after token strikes
For a 25-year-old marketing executive, the train strike on Wednesday resulted in a delay for a crucial client meeting and he spent an “exorbitant” sum to hire a taxi. “Why don’t the relevant officials come up with an alternative when unions go on strike?” he groaned.
“I am losing out on time I can use to study for exams,” said a 16-year-old student who takes the train to school from Kelaniya. They were among countless other train commuters once again severely inconvenienced by trade union action on Wednesday.
“It is not only locals that are affected by trade union action but tourists too,” said a Railway Department official who wished to remain anonymous. Visitors who wanted to experience scenic train rides were impacted and this slows down the revival of the pandemic-hit tourism sector. Union action was exploited by trade unions as means of escaping disciplining for negligence at work, he alleged, adding that no warning is usually given in advance.
But Indika Dodangoda, Secretary of the Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union (LEOU) and Convenor of the Union Federation to uplift Sri Lanka Railways, said relevant officials are notified, claiming they had written “over 100 letters”. He was aware that union action caused inconvenience to commuters but relevant officials also took no measures to address the underlying issues. “Officials, too, let this inconvenience take place,” he pointed out.
One of the LEOU’s main concerns was corruption within the Railway Department. “It has functioned at a loss for a long time,” Mr Dodangoda said. Projects should be carried out to minimise the loss but none of those implemented so far have brought profit.
Central bank statistics show that Sri Lanka Railways suffered significant annual losses in the last five years. The losses in 2020 alone grossed Rs 10.1 billion induced by pandemic-related obstacles. The losses did not go below Rs 6.5 billion between 2016 and 2019.
Creating facilities to transport containers was a crucial need as cargo transport on roads was now a major problem. There is a high demand for oil transportation but they couldn’t cater to it because of insufficient resources. “If we can meet these requirements, Sri Lanka Railways can make a profit instead of a loss,” Mr Dodangoda insisted. Installing another railway line, too, would make train service more profitable and efficient.
The LEOU and Transport Ministry held discussions on Wednesday and Thursday but a final decision is yet to be taken.
Meanwhile postal unions also held a 32-hour strike with around 25,000 unionists joining on Monday and Tuesday over unaddressed demands. Joint Postal Trade Union Alliance convenor Chinthaka Bandara said they have 24 requests focusing on worker rights, inefficiencies in the postal service. A discussion with the Mass Media Ministry secretary had been futile he said. “There were certain things we agreed upon. However, we have no guarantee that they will be implemented,” he said.
The unions were giving both Government and management the opportunity to consult employees and find solutions, he said. While awaiting feedback from relevant officials, they are also preparing to take necessary action until their demands are met. “The only alternative we have after a token strike is a general strike,” he said, adding that they hoped to have discussions with Minister Dulles Alahapperuma.
As a result of the token strike around 500,000 letters were held up at the Colombo Central Mail Exchange. Deputy Post Master General Rajitha Ranasinghe assured that distribution had recommenced on Wednesday.
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