JVP unions to assess govt. response before taking next step

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The JVP does not support a continuous strike at this juncture, JVP trade union leader Lal Kantha, says.

However, the JVP fully backed the union action today, he said, adding that those involved in the strike must assess the government’s response and then decide on their next move.

“We can take further trade union action, based on the government’s response,” he said.

Around 50 unions are protesting against the new tax regime.

At a time when inflation, and interest rates had reached historic highs, it was unfair for the government to increase direct taxes, too, Lal Kantha said.

“Don’t forget that the government increased indirect taxes, last year,” he said.

Cabinet spokesman, Bandula Gunawardane said the proposed trade union action today was bound to fail and legal action would be taken against the employees in essential services if they joined the strike.

Addressing the Cabinet press briefing, Minister Gunawardena said:

“We will get IMF funding on 20 March and things are getting better. We have declared transport, ports, posts, electricity, etc., as essential services. We will take legal action against anyone who violates the laws,” he said.

After the Minister made this announcement, the Central Bank Trade Union Alliance, too, said it would stage a country-wide token strike today, organised by the Professional Trade Union Alliance (PUTA). The CBSL unions said that activities of the Employees’ Provident Fund Department, cash counters and Regional Offices would be disrupted.

Earlier the Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Association announced that it would launch a 24-hour strike from midnight of 14 March.

The representatives of PUTA met senior government officials, Monday night, to find a solution to their grievances. The meeting ended without a decision.

“The officials said they would present an analytical report to the President, by Tuesday morning. We asked them to inform the President that he must make a political statement on this, on Tuesday. There was no final solution,” said GMOA secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge.

The GMOA resorted to trade union action for the second day in North-Western, North-Central, North, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces.

“From 9 am on Wednesday, we will expand the strike to all nine provinces. The country will shut down on 15 March. The responsibility of resolving the issue lies with the government. We hope that it will resolve the issue,” GMOA Media Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said.

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU), and unions in the Port Authority, commenced their union action yesterday.

Teachers, bank workers, water board employees, health support staff, and most unions of the Railway Department, too, said they would trade union action from midnight yesterday. Teachers and principals unions said that some schools were having exams and they would take steps to reschedule them.

The government yesterday issued a gazette declaring postal service an essential service. However, postal sector unions said their decision to take union action would not change because of the gazette. The unions would go on strike from midnight Tuesday and none of the post offices in the country would be operational today, the unions said.