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Station Masters plan to go on strike

by Rajmi Manatunga

The island's train service is poised for a breakdown next week with the stationmasters deciding to launch a strike demanding that the salary anomalies prevailing in their professions be immediately rectified.

Chairman of the Stationmasters' Union W.W. Wickremesinghe told the 'Daily News' yesterday that they were considering a strike in protest against the Government's failure to keep to its promise to stationmasters in September to solve all their salary anomalies through a special cabinet paper.

"There have been disparities in our salary scale over a long period of time and we have not received a salary hike for two years. The previous government offered salary increases for several fields but not the station masters' salaries. Even the Tissa Devendra Salary Commission was unable to solve our salary anomalies," he said.

The Union in September suspended its trade union action after the Transport Minister pledged to rectify the prevailing anomalies by setting up a Railway Commission. Wickremesinghe said that though the Commission was appointed nothing has been done about their problems. A final decision on the strike will be taken at the Union's committee meeting today (16th).

Meanwhile, the Locomotive Drivers Union, who were to launch a strike from today on 15 demands of engine drivers have suspended their decision after discussions with Transport Ministry officials and Railways General Manager Priyal de Silva on Saturday.

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