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Railway TUs to strike

by Rajmi Manatunga

Ninety five trade unions of the Railways Department will go on strike from today following the Government's decision to establish a Railway Authority with effect from yesterday.

Secretary of the All Ceylon Railway Employees General Union Sumathipala Manawadu told the Daily News that although it was decided during a meeting held on Wednesday to resort to trade union action only on July 30, the Transport Minister's decision to issue a gazette notification giving effect to the Railways Authority Act from yesterday hastened the strike.

The Unions also held a protest campaign in front of the Maradana railway station yesterday evening condemning the Government's decision to vest all decision making powers of the Department in an Authority. The Ratmalana workshop attached to the Department had commenced their trade union action from yesterday itself.

Questioned whether the Unions were willing to negotiate the matter with the authorities, Manawadu said no such meetings between the two parties were required to grant their immediate demands.

"All they have to do is withdraw Wednesday's gazette notification," he said. However, Chairman of the Railways Management Council P.H. Manatunga assured that trains will operate today as usual. "Protesting against such a decision taken for the betterment of the service is not reasonable at all. Moreover, we do not think that all employees will take part in this trade union action," he added.

Meanwhile, the National Railway Employees Union, one of the 95 striking unions was due to meet the Transport Minister at Parliament yesterday evening to discuss the matter.

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