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Costly strikes

Hundreds of stranded train commuters at Colombo's major railway stations on Thursday evening are bound to have learnt the full meaning of the phrase, "wild cat strike". For, chaos restlessness and anger reigned at these stations when railway unions which were apparently at cross purposes with each other, decided to abandon their chores and duties almost at the drop of a hat. As a result, office workers and other sections of the public were left in the lurch with no means of transport. Public anger was seen to rise dangerously at the railway stations.

The Railway authorities had concluded a settlement with railway locomotive engineers who had threatened to strike over a plan to recruit new engine drivers, when two other railway workers' unions launched a lightning strike in protest at the agreement. Thus were the railway stations plunged into chaos. The striking unions were the Locomotive Operating Assistants' Union and the Railway Technologists' Union, which apparently took exception to the authorities' decision to recruit a fresh though reduced intake of engine drivers.

Things are yet to be sorted out in this new crisis in the Railways and we hope sanity and a sense of proportion would prevail among the striking workers. It is clear that right now sectional needs and the interests of individual unions are prevailing over a coordinated and consensual approach, on the part of the workers, to resolving their problems. Grievances there may be, but it is our request that the striking unions arrive at a broad consensual formula to resolving these intra-union issues and then approach the authorities for an overall solution which would be acceptable to all. In the absence of such an approach to the problems at hand we would be only having prolonged chaos.

It should be the principle of aggrieved unions to aim at arriving at solutions which would make everyone to the dispute a winner. This includes the State and the people, for, it is the latter who suffer most from strike action in the essential services. The absence of such a principle, makes industrial action anti-national and callously indifferent to the needs of the people.

We believe the circumstances the country is in should be taken into consideration before strike action is initiated by disaffected groups. This is a time when political tensions are high on account of the upcoming polls. The hardships of the people are on the rise on account of forces beyond the State's control.

Accordingly strikes should be launched with the utmost caution.

An inability to do this puts strikers in a bad light. For, the question may be posed whether they are acting with political motives. Precipitate, careless strike action which is indifferent to public needs, usually gives rise to this suspicion. It is, however, the people who are victimized by these short-sighted policies. No one

stands to gain, including the strikers themselves.

• Editorial of  The Observer - 2.11.2001:
  Thuggery and Government
  

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