Strike a dismal failure - Information and Media Minister

Rohan MATHES

COLOMBO: The islandwide JVP led strike organised by the UNP-JVP-TNA alliance was an utter failure and the greatest betrayal of the ‘working class’ by the UNP since 1980, observed Media and Information Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa yesterday.

Addressing the Cabinet news briefing in Parliament, Minister Anura Yapa noted that this was the first ever ‘token strike’ organised jointly by the UNP and the JVP, which have had an estranged relationship and convergent views on diverse issues in the past.

Although Parliamentarian Lal Kantha vehemently claimed that around 566 unions, inclusive of the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS), the Estate Sector Unions, Teachers’ Unions, Transport Sector Unions among others, were definitely participating in the token ‘Work Stoppage’ organised by them, ultimately it all ended up in a dismal failure.

He pointed out that in cognisance of the fact that the strike was politically motivated instead of being a weapon to win workers’ rights, the workers had opted out of the strike.

Minister Anura Yapa categorically ruled out the unfounded allegations made by the JVP and the UNP who alleged that 40 per cent of the SLBC staff, 60 per cent of the SLRC staff, 90 per cent of the estate sector and others had joined the strike.

“These allegations are all false. They have miserably failed in their attempt to make any impact and disrupt the normal services in any sphere, be it the transport, power, schools or any other sector. Parliamentarian Lal Kantha in his embarrassment, is now only making baseless allegations to defend his position, which he claimed he would vacate, if the strike failed,” he said.

The Minister stated that their Government under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had done a yeoman service for the State sector employees, by enhancing their salaries several times within their tenure.

The minimum salary of government sector employees has been increased to Rs.12,000. They had expanded and consolidated the government service which had been constricted by the former UNP regime.

Pensions had been enhanced and restored to many beneficiaries who had lost it in the past. Notwithstanding any of these measures taken by the Government to uplift their lot, the vicious alliance in their desperation, had incited the workers to strike, the Minister said.

He reiterated that no force whatsoever or any kind of intimidation had been ever applied to the workforce, at any time by the Government to make the strike a failure. However he said that they made their affiliated unions aware of the true motives behind the planned strike.

“Our Government well succeeded in taking the right message to the people, with your support and co-operation,” Minister Yapa told the media. He stated that following their unsuccessful attempt to disrupt the normal services in the country, which they claim to be only an ‘experiment’, they allege that they will repeat this again in the future too.

Nonetheless, he pointed out that the Government was always prepared and ready for any such action in the future too, and asserted that they would fail more miserably in any such future attempt.

Minister Yapa added that there would not be any change in their stand to eradicate terrorism from the country and bring about sustainable peace to the nation. “The people have fully understood and endorsed the Government’s stand and rejected the view of the UNP and the JVP,” he said.