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Twenty three TUs petition President, PM

The joint organisation for the Protection of National Assets and People's Rights with a membership of 23 Trade Unions has petitioned the President and the Prime Minister requesting them to ensure that the government withdraws the proposed four Labour Bills tabled in Parliament, halts the privatisation of the Insurance Corporation and People's Bank and other assets and pruning of Samurdhi relief immediately. It has also requested them to ensure that the Government halted the programme of reducing staff in the public sector and granted a salary increase to workers to set off the rising cost of living.

The petition states that the performance of the UNF Government during the past year has proved that it had acted contrary to its pledge of making life easier for the common man.

The actions taken by the government under the guise of public sector reforms has caused much concern among the ordinary masses. The petition alleged that the proposed four new Labour Bills would curtail the rights of workers and reduce them to slavery.

The decision to prune Samurdhi assistance and other relief had caused much consternation among the public. The failure to increase salaries in relation to the rising cost of living has angered the workers.

Unless the government took immediate measures to change this situation and grant some relief to the masses the organisation would organise the workers and the common masses to defeat the government's 'anti-people' actions, the petition has stated.

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