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Unions condemn locomotive drivers strike

by Ranil Wijayapala

Trade Unions attached to the Railway Department vehemently condemn the stand of the Locomotive Drivers' trade union action as they are trying to prune down the rights of the employees of the same institution.

The President of the Dumriya Sevaka Sangamaya D. M. D. Abeyratne described this as a malicious act against a group of workers with whom they are working under the same institution.

They are now defying what they agreed to earlier and are inconveniencing the public for a simple matter that could have been settled easily, he added.

According to Abeyratne, the problem regarding the recruitment of internal workers as engine drivers dragged on for the past few decades. The procedure was changed several times since 1956.

A committee was also appointed in 1992 under the Chairmanship of S. M. J. Seneviratne to look into the problems related to the recruitment procedure of appointing internal workers.

The committee was later chaired by Mr. Weerahandi and the engine drivers union also made representations at this committee. They agreed with the committee recommendation to recruit 30 per cent internal employees - 25 per cent from engine drivers and 5 per cent from mechanical and electrical technicians - as engine drivers.

He said the engine drivers union also agreed at a meeting which was chaired by the President's Secretary Kusumsiri Balapatabendi, then Transport Minister A. H. M. Fowzie and the Ministry Secretary to implement the recommendations made by Weerhandi committee in February 2000.

Following this discussion, the Railway Department called for applications for the recruitment of engine drivers in April 2000 and the examination was held a year later.

"Now the engine drivers are opposing the recruitment of 18 driver assistants and 19 mechanical and electrical technicians who have qualified at the examination and at the interview as engine drivers", he said.

They are opposing the appointment of the same employees who are working hand in hand in the same engine, he added.

The convenor of the Organisation to Protect Workers' Rights, Sampath Rajitha told the Daily News that they also vehemently condemn the action taken by the engine drivers to prune down the rights of workers of the same institution.

All trade unions attached to the Railway Department organised a protest condemning the action of engine drivers in front of the Maradana railway station last afternoon, he added. 

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