Unions declare protests a success,warn more to come

The trade unions belonging to the ports, petroleum, electricity, health, water supply and education sectors that implemented a number of trade union actions including strikes and work to rule campaigns yesterday (1), seeking to force the Government led by President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to revoke the recently introduced tax policies, claimed that their trade union actions were successful, and warned of stricter trade union actions including continuous strikes within the course of next week, if the Government continues to ignore their demands.

More than 100 trade unions within government and semi-government institutions such as the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB), the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA), the Federation of University Teachers` Associations, the Ceylon Bank Employees' Union (CBEU) and the Ceylon Teachers' Union, as announced before, engaged in several trade union actions yesterday.

The trade unions within the SLPA launched a work to rule campaign from 7 a.m. yesterday, and the same is to end at 7 a.m. today (2). They also engaged in a protest in front of the SLPA premises during the lunch hour. Commenting on the trade union action to the media, Co-Convenor of the Joint Ports Trade Unions' Alliance, Niroshan Gorakanage said that although the President had issued a Gazette notification declaring the operations of ports as essential services, they had successfully launched the work to rule campaign which had caused the disruption of substantial operations of the SLPA. 

“More than 9,000 SLPA employees belonging to 40 trade unions joined this trade union action. Eight ships were scheduled to reach the Colombo Port today while several other ships were to depart. They had been disrupted due to this and the same will cause a loss of billions of rupees to the SLPA. We ask the President and the Government to revoke these unfair tax policies. If not, we will have to initiate stricter actions by next week,” he said.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Employees' Union – Ports President, Prasanna Kalutarage also spoke to the media and said that 75% of the operations of the SLPA had been disrupted due to the trade union action. Although the government parties including the SLPA management had told the media that operations had not been disrupted, he said that such claims were totally untrue, and added that their trade union action was very successful.

The trade unions within the CPC also launched a work to rule campaign yesterday, and the same had reportedly caused disruptions to the fuel distribution process. “All CPC employees, irrespective of any trade union or political party difference, support this work to rule campaign. We launched this trade union action against the unfair tax policies and Government preparations to transfer the ownership of about 600 filling stations to private companies. If it is done, the job security of CPC employees will be placed at risk. We also request the Government to charge taxes from those who earn more than Rs. 200,000 at the minimum. This is just a warning. If the Government does not heed our demands, we will be initiating stricter actions by next week,” said Sri Lanka Freedom Employees' Union – Petroleum President Jagath Wijegunaratne. 

Ranjan Jayalal, who was speaking to the media representing the trade unions within the CEB, said: “We, the trade unions within the CEB, have expressed our full support for this struggle against the Government's unfair tax policies and other issues which have arisen in the country at present, by not reporting to work on sick leave. We regret any inconvenience caused to electricity consumers, but it is the Government which should be held responsible for this situation.”

The CBEU consisting of employees of a total of 18 State and private banks, and trade unions within the CBSL launched a one-day strike yesterday. Speaking to the media, CBEU President Channa Dissanayake said that they would expect the Government to positively respond to their demands following the trade union action, which he said was 99% successful. If the Government does not do so, he said that the CBEU and trade unions within many other sectors have already decided to take stricter actions in the coming days. In such an event, he said that the Government should accept the responsibility for all disruptions which may be caused to the public. President of the CBEU Branch of the Bank of Ceylon (BoC), Anuradha Niraj also spoke to the media and said that the strike launched by the BoC was extremely successful. He said that not a single employee of the BoC Head Office and its 637 branches had reported to work yesterday. He also warned that they would take extensive trade union actions in the coming days if the Government does not revoke the tax policies in question.

The GMOA extended its support to the trade union actions launched by the Collective of Trade Unions against the tax policies, but did not engage in a strike. “Even though we declared a 24-hour-long trade union action including protests and discussions, we did not launch a strike. That is because we have to think of the patients who visit hospitals amid many hardships. However, we received information that the functioning of Out Patient Departments (OPDs) and clinics had been affected at certain hospitals. We issued prior warnings that this would happen, but the Government did not listen to us. These are the consequences. Therefore, we urge the people to understand this situation. We also held 12 protests islandwide. If the Government continues to ignore us, we will launch stricter trade union actions at any moment after 8 March. They can even be launched without prior notice,” said GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge.

Other trade unions, including those within the Department of Post, the Department of Railways, and the teachers' and principals' service had extended their support to the trade union actions yesterday by reporting to work in black attire and with black armbands. Although the trade unions within the Railways Department did not confirm that they would engage in a strike, several trains had been delayed and cancelled as of last evening.

The said trade unions launched the trade union actions against the backdrop of President Wickremesinghe having signed a Gazette notification declaring several services related to ports, airports and passenger transport services as essential services on Monday (27 February), with immediate effect. 

Holding a massive protest in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station on 22 February, the aforesaid trade unions vowed to make the Government led by Wickremesinghe roll back the tax policies that it recently introduced. They had also declared a “black week”of protests from that day, demanding that the tax revisions in question be revoked, and be replaced with fair revisions. In view of the “black week”, employees of public institutions reported for duty in black attire wearing black armbands, while black flags and banners had been hoisted at several State institution premises.