Postal sick note campaign a failure - PMG
Rajmi Manatunga
COLOMBO: Postal services islandwide continued uninterrupted yesterday
despite a sick note campaign called by several unions attached to the
Postal Department.
Post Master General Sherwin Senadheera said that the trade union
action, though unannounced, failed to have a significant impact on the
activities of post offices in the country except for a delay at the
Central Mail Exchange (CME).
The sick note campaign was organised in all parts of the country save
the North and the East protesting alleged corruption by top officers of
the Department, the dearth of postal workers and the delay in providing
relief loans.
"According to reports I have received, over 80 per cent of post
offices islandwide functioned without any hindrance,including a majority
of them in the Sabaragamuwa Province.Post Offices in Badulla, Moneragala,
Ratnapura, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara reported
a hundred per cent attendance."
Only nine post offices in the Central Province were affected by the
trade union action while four and twelve post offices in the Kalutara
and Gampaha districts respectively were affected, he said.
Senadheera however admitted that mail dispatch activities in the CME
were seriously hampered due to the campaign. Mail delivery within
Colombo was also considerably affected.
Commenting on the allegations of the unions, Senadheera said that the
Government has already held a competitive exam and taken other necessary
steps to recruit 895 employees to the Department.
"There has been no default in providing distress loans to employees.
We have requested the Treasury to release funds to provide loans to the
outstanding applicants," he added.
However, a spokesman for the Federation of Postal Unions said that
around 19,000 employees took part in yesterday's trade union action
organised by 15 unions of the Department.
"Corruption is rife within the Department with top officials engaging
in various malpractices. But the management is trying to sweep these
things under the carpet. On the other hand, there is a plan to privatise
the service by affiliating it with private entities," he said.
He also said they will launch a full-scale islandwide strike within
two weeks if the authorities fail to address their grievances.
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