Strike forces Vavuniya police to man railway crossings

Police officers in Vavuniya have had to take over manning unprotected railway crossings as the gatekeepers of these crossings have gone on strike. 

The protest has been ongoing for several days now and gatekeepers of unprotected crossings launched a fast opposite the Vavuniya railway station on July 12. 

They are demanding authorities increase their salaries, which now stands at just Rs.250 a day. The gatekeepers point out such a meagre salary was clearly insufficient. 

In the end, both the police and officers from the Department of Railways have had to allocate personnel to man the unprotected railway crossings until a solution is found. 

Story and Pix by Romesh Madhusanka

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