‘July 10 strike will undermine military gains’

Uditha Kumarasinghe and Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: Cabinet Spokesman Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa yesterday requested the working class not to be misled by the islandwide trade union action planned by some JVP affiliated trade unions on July 10 and stressed that the Government is keen on solving the problems faced by the working class.

“These are initiatives taken by certain political parties to cover up their internal crisis. We request the working class not to join this politically oriented trade union action. We also salute the trade unions which do not participate in this trade union action,” the Minister told the weekly Cabinet press briefing yesterday.

The Minister said during the past three years, the Government took several initiatives to increase the wages of state employees. The Government could place the minimum salary point of state employees at Rs.12,000.

In addition, the Government also took measures to give a Rs.1,000 pay hike to private sector employees. Measures are also underway to increase the salaries of the private sector from 15 per cent to 40 per cent through Wages Board.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has also recommended to give a Rs.1,000 allowance to State sector employees until the next budget is presented. Therefore the present Government has a great interest in the country’s working class rather than other political parties.

“We clearly witness this is a move taken by certain elements to destabilise the country and underestimate the military victories achieved by our Armed Forces.

In a situation where our Armed Forces are achieving so many victories against the LTTE, we vehemently condemn this politically oriented move taken by certain elements to obstruct the military victories.”

Minister Yapa said during the UNP regime, steps were taken to reduce the total number of state employees to one third.

The UNP Government completely curbed the July strike launched in 1980.