48-hour railway strike

6 July 2013 06:48 am

Train commuters are due to experience inconveniences on Monday and Tuesday (July 8 and 9), due to an island-wide strike organized by the Railways Professional Trade Union Alliance (RPTUA) to urge the government to rectify their salary anomalies.

Convener of the Joint Trade Union Alliance for Railway Employees, Janaka Fernando speaking to Daily Mirror Online a short while ago said the strike will be launched with effect from 12 midnight tomorrow and would continue for 48 hours.

All officials of the railway services including engine drivers, train guards, station masters, train controllers as well as all supervising coordinators of railways are due to participate in the strike.
“We took measures to voice our grievances to the authorities including the Transport Minister and the Presidential Secretary concerning the salary anomaly. Although we were given promises of rectifying the anomaly, no such action has been taken so far,” Fernando added.

On several occasions, the RPTUA has threatened to launch strikes that would cripple the railways sector, even as recently as April but had called it off at the last minute. (LP)