Countrywide trade union action to kick off tomorrow against govt.

A number of professional trade unions from the essential services sector, including power, petroleum, water, ports, teachers, university lecturers, and banks, assured that they will engage in a countrywide one-day strike tomorrow, Trade Union Alliance Convener Ranjan Jayalal said.

He said all trade unions would stand tomorrow against the government's decision to collect taxes from people.

Accordingly, trade unions representing the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), postal services, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) are among the main trade union groups taking part in the strike action.

Jayalal said all trade unions continuously demanded the government to withdraw the decisions that were implemented to collect taxes. But the government did not give any favorable responses to any of their requests, they said.

The Trade Union Alliance threatened the government that they would not obey any laws imposed by the government and said that there was no point in issuing an emergency gazette notification stating the services of the above sectors were essential.

"As long as the government does not listen to us, we will break the law and challenge the government to do everything possible to put an end to the trade union action," they said.

Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers' Union, announced that they had decided to hold a daylong black protest in the education sector tomorrow. He requested all teachers and principals to attend schools wearing black bands or clothes. A black flag will be hoisted in front of every school, demanding the government provide immediate solutions to the issues in the education sector.
 
The CPC trade unions announced that they have decided to launch a work to rule campaign tomorrow. If something happened to the fuel distribution system in the country tomorrow, the government should take full responsibility, officials said.

CPC trade union convenor Jagath Wijegunawardana stated that the CPC makes a monthly profit of more than Rs. 6 billion. While gaining such profit, the CPC is in the process of handing over more than 450 filling stations to three foreign companies. They demand the government not give local filling stations to foreign companies and grant them medical allowances.

The Government and Semi-government Trade Union Alliance has decided to engage in duties while wearing black bands and hoisting black flags.