Work stoppage; postal services at a standstill

Postal services countywide came to a standstill today because of the work stoppage launched by the members of the United Postal Trade Union’s Front, Post Master General Rohana Abeyratne said.

Trade union representatives were scheduled to meet officials at the Ministry of Postal Services to discuss their demands and resolve the crisis.

The PMG said union leaders had held discussions with Postal Department officials but both parties were unable to come to an agreement.

More than 500 sacks of mail are said to be stagnated at the Central Mail Exchange (CME) with the foreign mail service (EMS) and the ‘Speed Post’ service not functioning.

Meanwhile, United Postal Trade Union’s Front co-convener H.K. Kariyawasam said 21,000 postal service employees from 653 post offices and 3,410 sub post offices were on strike and would do so until the government granted their demands.

The unions had submitted three main demands including the streamlining of staff recruitment and stopping the handover of post office buildings in Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Kandy to an Indian company. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)