Power, petroleum, water, port, bank, academic sectors to strike work today

• As long as the government does not listen to us, we will break the law tomorrow   
• A black flag will be hoisted in front of every school 

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

A number of professional trade unions from the essential services sector, including power, petroleum, water, ports, teachers, university lecturers, and banks, assured that they will engage in a countrywide one-day strike today, Trade Union Alliance Convener Ranjan Jayalal said.   

He said all trade unions would stand today against the government’s decision to collect taxes from people.   Accordingly, trade unions representing the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), postal services, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) are among the main trade union groups taking part in the strike action.  

Jayalal said all trade unions continuously demanded the government to withdraw the decisions that were implemented to collect taxes. But the government did not give any favourable responses to any of our requests.   

The Trade Union Alliance threatened the government that they would not obey any laws imposed by the government and said that there was no point in issuing an emergency gazette notification stating the services of the above sectors were essential.   

As long as the government does not listen to us, we will break the law tomorrow and have challenged the government to do everything possible to put an end to the trade union action.   
Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, announced that they had decided to hold a daylong black protest in the education sector today. He requested all teachers and principals come to schools wearing black bands or clothes. A black flag will be hoisted in front of every school, demanding the government to provide immediate solutions to the issues in the education sector.   

The CPC trade unions announced that they have decided to launch a work to rule campaign today. If something happened to the fuel distribution system in the country today, the government should take full responsibility.