Desist from wildcat strikes

July strikers appeal to union leaders:

COLOMBO: The Joint Organisation of July Strikers in a statement yesterday requested shortsighted trade union leaders to desist from launching unnecessary wildcat strikes which may only strengthen reaction and weaken the Government's efforts, to make peace a reality, round up corrupt State officials who rob national assets and cater to people's needs through discussion.

The statement added that there was no doubt that public service salaries were not adequate to meet the rising cost of living.

A new salary system with acceptable increments should be formulated according to a national policy. Whenever struggles are launched to achieve this aim higher echelons of the public service have always obtaining their share by misleading the State leadership.

The rising up of trade unions against this tendency should be appreciated. Leadership which heeded this dissolved the Tissa Devendra Salary Commission and appointed a new salary commission through which it hopes to obtain new salary recommendations eradicating anomalies.

Till then interim relief has been granted by paying the balance salary increment due from 1995 and providing an additional allowance of Rs. 1,000 from January 1, 2006. Public servants should be intelligent enough to obtain acceptable new salary recommendations instead of a still-born child.

When there was an oppressive government which snatched away rice coupons and expelled workers from workplaces at the point of a gun, certain health and postal trade union leaders took the side of reaction by acting as black legs.

Certain other trade unions posing off as pro government unions today, betrayed '80 July strikers stranding them in the forefront of their struggle. The present Government set up by the people is only 4 months old.

During this period it has confronted many problems including peoples and labour problems. 'Mahinda Chintana' aims to find solutions to all of them through discussions.

The Presidential Secretariat is also in the process of solving the July '80 strikers' problem which had dragged on for 26 years.

The Government has also started talks to settle the North East problem. Since the Government is engaged in a process of rebuilding the nation and obtained a fresh people's mandate at the local government elections, the Joint Organisation of July Strikers would call upon all trade union activists to desist from launching unnecessary wildcat strikes by deceiving public servants, the statement signed by organisation General Secretary P. Amaradiwakara said.