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by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Opposition in collaboration with all Trade Unions will conduct a picketing campaign at 12.30pm today at 1,000 places in Colombo and outside urging the Government to immediately withdraw the three Labour Bills scheduled to be presented in Parliament today to amend existing labour regulations.

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse told a media briefing yesterday that the Government is to present three bills in Parliament today - Industrial Disputes (Hearing and Determination of proceedings (special provision) Bill, Industrial Disputes (amendment) Bill and Termination of Employment of Workmen (special provisions-amendment) Bill - with the intention of stifling the country's working class.

The Government has launched its first attack for the New Year on the working class by introducing these three Bills, he said.

He said the Opposition and trade unions have already expressed vehement opposition to the amendments and organised a massive picketing campaign today to demand the withdrawal of these bills immediately.

Rajapakse said the Prime Minister should intervene and take steps to withdraw these bills. The actions taken by the Opposition in Parliament will be decided at a meeting attended by Opposition Party leaders today's morning.

He said picketing campaigns will be conducted in several key places in Colombo and suburbs including Lipton Circus, Opposite the Maradana Railway station and Lake House, Kollupitiya, Nugegoda and Maharagama junctions. Picketing campaigns will also be conducted at factories. The estate sector has also joined this protest campaign.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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