(UPDATED) Trade Unions have decided to call off their toke strike by tomorrow morning giving a week long ultimatum for the government to address their concerns.

Over 40 trade unions representing banking, health, and education sectors as well as ports, electricity, postal, railway, and water board launched a major one-day strike against the government’s tax policy and over a number of demands.

Government figures showed that as many as 420,424 workers or 65 per cent of the 643,994  work force in the sectors involved in the strike kept off their duties.

The Education and the Medical services were the worst affected sectors.  According to government figures 92 per cent of the principals and teachers kept off their duties while 63 per cent of the doctors too kept of their duties.

The Universities too were affected with 87 per cent of non-academic staff and 77 per cent of University Lecturers keeping off today.

Sixty four per cent of the state and private bank employees to stayed away from work.

Among the other sectors affected were Port (83 per cent), electricity board (79 per cent), Postal (92 per cent), Railway 57 per cent),  Development officers (59 Per cent), Management Assistants (52 per cent) and Agriculture Research Officers (43 per cent)

Trade unions said they were giving a week’s period for the government to address the issues raised and failing which they would resume their trade union action.

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) stayed away from daily duties in state hospitals island-wide except for emergency services and specialized hospitals.

Its Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said there was a positive response from last night’s meeting with top government officials, however, there was not much assurance to stop today’s trade union action. On Monday, doctors were on strike in the Western province and yesterday in another five provinces causing inconvenience, especially to those visiting monthly clinics and OPDs.

He said today’s trade union action demanding the removal of the high PAYE tax will have a major impact on the country’s health system.

As a result of the strike several operations, clinics and other services were called off forcing thousands of patients to return without treatment.

President of Government Medical Laboratory Technologists’ Association Ravi Kumudesh said they were joining strike demanding the government an Rs.20,000 cost of living allowance for all state sector employees.

The Electricity Board Union said their employees reported  sick today. Telecom employees too extended  their support to the trade union action by reporting sick. 

Attending breakdown and repairs, issuing of bills, customer service at offices will not take place today, said Upali Ratnayake of Water Board's joint trade union alliance. They took  part in a protest march outside the head office in Ratmalana at noon today. 

Bank of Ceylon employees’ union said all employees in state banks will not report to duty causing a heavy loss to the state bank system.

Accordingly some of the bank branches were closed down while some others operated with limited staff members.

Channa Dissanayake of the Bank of Ceylon union said if the government is unable to reduce taxes, a cost-of-living allowance or a relief payment to all employees should be made immediately.

Employees of the Port Authority joined  the strike demanding the removal of taxes and reducing of interest rates on loans, as well as holding elections without delay.

“All import and export processing work in the ports will come to a complete halt today resulting in a major income loss to the Authority,” said Udeni Kaluthanthri of the ports employees union.

Accordingly work at the port slowed down with clearance of goods badly affected.

Union members strongly protested when the management tried to get some of the Port employees to work.

All term tests and evaluations to be held in schools were postponed after unions representing teachers and principals announced they would join today’s strike by not reporting to work.

“Until our salary anomaly is solved, we demand the government to provide a cost of living allowance of Rs.20,000 and to reduce interest rates on loans,” Joseph Stalin of Ceylon Teachers Union told Timesonline.

Attendance of students too had shown a sharp drop in schools. Most students had been told by teachers on the previous day that there was no use of coming to school as they would not be teaching.

University lecturers too took  part in today’s trade union action. Prof. Shyama Banneheka of the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) said the discussion with the President's Secretary and Finance Ministry Secretary last night ended on a positive note, however, it is insufficient to stop today’s trade union action.

Despite postal service being declared as essential on Monday, postal unions joined today's strike, said convenor of the postal union Chinthaka Bandara.

Railway unions too were involved in the strike thereby crippling train services.

However, the President’s office quoting the Railway General Manager said 20 office trains had operated by 8.00 a.m. today morning. Police and military personnel were deployed at major railway stations. 

All leave of all railway employees was cancelled yesterday with immediate effect.

Both the Sri Lanka Transport Board and Private Bus Owners Association have assured the deployment of buses as usual without any impact from today’s strike.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Chairman M.U.Mohammed has confirmed that over 300 loads of 6,600 liters of petrol and diesel have been processed so far to maintain normal operations, the President’s Media Division said.

The move has been made to minimise inconvenience caused by petroleum employees taking part in today’s joint trade union action. 

The President’s officer also said  State banks were functioning at over 75 percent as of 10.30 a.m. today.. 

The PMD said despite the strike, BOC General Manager Russel Fonseka has confirmed that 265 branches including the Head Office and all divisions are operating while People’s Bank Acting CEO Clive Fonseka has confirmed that 272 branches out of the 340 are fully functional with attendance reported at over 75 percent.