Strike stillborn

Rasika Somarathna

* TUs pledge solidarity with govt

* Power tariff hike protest only a cover for bigger conspiracy

While predicting that the strike action planned for today by a few Trade Unions affiliated to Opposition political parties will be a total flop, joint trade union alliance leaders said the real reason behind the attempt was to gain petty political mileage and not to protest against the electricity tariff hike.

Addressing the media yesterday, trade union leaders charged that organisers of the proposed strike were pawns in the hands of some bankrupt opposition politicians, certain NGOs and a few local and international conspirators involved in an anti-government plot. The joint trade union alliance leaders which said they were representing an overwhelming majority of the working class, requested all workers not to fall prey to the conspiracies hatched by sinister forces at a time when the country is on a rapid development drive. Commenting on the protests against the recent electricity tariff hikes, the joint trade union activists said that the President has already granted relief in this connection and they were confident that the government will provide further relief in the future. Meanwhile, Labour and Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge described the proposed strike as a mere attempt to gain political mileage and a conspiracy to turn the public against a people-friendly government.

He said the intention was to disrupt the rapid development initiatives launched by the government.

Lokuge said the government always represents the working community of the country and will never resort to measures which will subject them to oppression.

The electricity tariff will not be a permanent one and all avenues will be explored to reduce tariffs further in the future, he said.

Sanurdhi Development and Agriculture Research officers Organisation chairman Jagath Pushpakumara told the media that a vast majority of workers were against the strike action and it will not cause any disruption to normal functions.

He said the working class of the country had the fullest confidence in the President and the government and they will not contribute to any act which will cause disruption to the country’s development.

Pushpakumara alleged that the main culprits behind the attempt was the UNP and JVP working in collaboration with few local and international saboteurs.

Nadeera Manoj of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Dumriya Sevaka Sangamaya said trains will ply as usual and stressed he was confident that not a single train will be delayed or stalled due to the strike action.

He said there were indications that a few workers belonging to a union affiliated to a opposition political party were planning to disrupt the signal lights and said the authorities were ready to prevent such attempts.

Bandu Jayasinghe of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Rajaye Vurtheeya Samithi Sammelanaya said workers could resolve any grievances with the present government through discussion and there was no need to resort to disruptive action. “The confidence of the working masses in the government was amply demonstrated during the recent May day,” he added. Ariyadasa Pathirana of Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (Ports Authority) said no work at any of the ports in the country will be disrupted today as the workers were totally against any strike action.

Meanwhile, trade union leaders affiliated to health and education sectors Roy de Mel and N Hadapangoda too said that workers affiliated to their sectors have already denounced any disruptive action.

The head of Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya of Lake House, D M P A Dassanayake described the proposed strike as an attempt to give oxygen to a dying opposition and nothing else. The Union leaders also said they had the fullest backing of the trade unions affiliated to the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Several other trade union leaders also addressed the media during the briefing held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.