No effect of strike on schools, hospitals, transport services

The strike called by certain anti-government groups and several NGOs aimed to create instability in the country by driving unnecessary fear into the minds of the people and dislodge the government’s development programme yesterday had been a total failure, Director General of Information Prof. Ariyaratne Athugala said in a press release yesterday.

Almost all state and private sector employees had reported to their offices and workplaces and fulfilled their responsibilities with unprecedented enthusiasm yesterday rebuffing the strike called by disgruntled elements. Yesterday’s attendance by employees had recorded a higher percentage than usual.

Although usual attendance on other days was around 90 percent of the workforce yesterday’s attendance was as high as 93.5 percent, the release said. The total failure of the strike proved that people had not forgotten the colossal steps taken by the government to uplift the living standards of farmers, fishermen and plantation communities.

Similarly this snubbing of the strike call also proved that the working class had not forgotten the era when strikers were tortured and driven out of jobs in their thousands. The release said schools, hospitals and workplaces as well as transport services functioned normally yesterday.

The government highly appreciated the support rendered by the entire working class to defeat the strike plan launched yesterday without falling prey to petty political intentions and influences.