Unions threaten general strike if salaries not upped
November 16, 2011, 9:48 pmby Dasun Edirisinghe
Private and public sector employees joined hands, during the late afternoon working hours of yesterday, to demonstrate opposite the Fort Railway Station, demanding an immediate pay hike.
They demanded for a Rs. 10,000 salary increment for the public sector and a 40 per cent hike for the private sector in the 2012 budget, which is to be present in parliament on Nov. 21.
The demonstration, which lasted nearly two hours, caused major traffic jams on the roads leading to and from Colombo Fort.
Protesters carried placards with anti-government slogans such as ‘Increase the salaries or face a strike’, ‘unite against the government that deprives us of our livelihood’, ‘Stop waste and corruption and increase salaries’.
Addressing a short rally after the demonstration, President of the National Trade Union Centre, the organizing body of the protest, K. D. Lalkantha said that they had already prepared the workers countrywide to launch trade union action if the government fails to respond to their grievances through the budget.
"If the government does not address our demand on Nov. 21, we will launch an immediate trade union action," he said adding that it would sometimes be a continuous strike.
The former JVP MP said that over 360 trade unions in the public and private sector were with them and this time they will show their strength to the government.
Citing some examples, he said that the government cheated them for years and it had failed to honour President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election promise of a Rs. 2,500 salary increase for public sector employees.
Lalkantha said that the prices of essential goods has increased again to unbearable levels, but the government increased fuel prices too two weeks ago.
Former JVP MP and President of the Inter Company Employees’ Union, Wasantha Samarasinghe said that they also demanded for a reduction in the prices of essential goods.
"According to the present cost of living index, a four–member family needs a salary of Rs. 42,420, but most of private sector employees receive a salary which is below Rs. 12,000," he said.
Samarasinghe said that this time they would fight until the demands are met and will not give up the protest till the government grants their demands.
