6 May 2022 09:20 am Views - 138
By Chaturanga Samarawickrama
Many major sectors, including transport, supplies, banking, medical, and education, would come to a standstill as they decided to join with the nationwide hartal today while moving the people’s struggle against the government a step further.
Accordingly, many trade unions, civil society organisations have decided to join in with the hartal campaign today.
Meanwhile, trade unions attached to the health sector, such as the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), Association of Medical Specialists (AMS), the Government Dental Surgeons’ Association (GDSA) have decided to support the hartal by ensuring that government hospitals function as normal and carry out all emergency treatments.
Moreover, the Inter-Provincial Private Bus Owners’ Association (IPPBOA) yesterday said that they will not take part in the nationwide hartal but have given the freedom to all bus owners to join in with the hartal according to their wishes. They said there was no point in participating in such activities as the government had not decided to quit.
“It is a waste of public money and their valuable time. The loss the country gains from such a hartal has to be borne by us,” the association said.
The All Ceylon Transport Workers’ Union (ACTWU) said they had asked all Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) employees to join the nationwide strike today.
Union General Secretary Sepala Liyanage said all employees have been requested to participate in the hartal to establish a people’s government. He said the SLTB Chairman and the Labour Department Commissioner General have been notified of this.