Unions confer with minister : Train strike called off

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

Following discussions with Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana, the Sri Lanka Railways Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU) has decided to call off their ongoing train strike from last night.  

The minister assured union officials that no disciplinary action will be taken against officers who report to work by midnight. He added that those who do not report to work will be dealt with according to regular procedures.  

The discussion, attended by Transport State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, was held at the official residence of former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.  

Earlier, the Railways Department announced that all Station Masters who did not report for duty yesterday (10) would be considered as having vacated their positions, following a letter issued by Acting Railways General Manager S.S. Mudalige. This followed a gazette notification (2390/28) issued on June 29, 2024, declaring train services as an essential service.  

The minister also confirmed that nearly 1,000 termination letters have been sent to Station Masters and that the service would be restored with the help of military personnel to ensure continuity for the public. He criticized the Station Masters trade union for challenging the common law, comparing their actions to those of terrorists.  

The SLRSMU had launched their strike on Tuesday (9) based on several demands, including promotions. The strike led to the cancellation of several trains, including office trains and night mail trains to and from Colombo Fort and Badulla, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Rambukkana.