President cautions Trade Unions:

Be wary of conspirators

Though the working class had demands and the Government was prepared to grant their just demands there were certain conspiratorial objectives that could be put forward through trade union demands President Mahinda Rajapaksa who met officials of nearly 80 trade unions at Temple Trees yesterday cautioned.

The President said, first of all it was the UN Human Rights Commission problem, next a Security Council resolution, then a European Commission inquiry then the Sri Lanka Armed Forces were alleged to have used rape in the war and now there was a problem about the International Military Tribunal but we will be able to overcome all these challenges, a press release of the President’s Media Division said yesterday.

Similarly, there could be conspiracies to create artificial shortages of goods or services to embarrass the Government and there were some bankrupt political elements who want to demoralize the victorious working class who should identify such political projects and not fall prey to such traps, the President said.

President Rajapaksa called upon the working class to cooperate in the task of rapid development of the country and said as long as the people were with the Government no conspirator could succeed in their efforts.

Among the TU officials present were Public Service Trade Union Federation President W.H. Piyadasa, SLFP Trade Union President Leslie Devendra, Labour Union Federation President Somaweera Chandrasiri, Sri Lanka Nidahas Teachers Union President Nissanka Fernando, Sri Lanka Administrative Service Union President P. Wijeratna, Lanka Labour Federation Deputy Secretary Jagath Premachandra, Sri Lanka Nidahas Management Union Secretary Tudor Ranasinghe, Samastha Lanka Public Administrative Union President W. Muthubanda and several other trade union officials were present, the release said.