Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera proclaimed that the time was right for the BBS to enter into the trade union sector and to influence them to act according to the teachings of the Buddha.

The Thera said that as an initiative they would initially assist health sector trade unions. “We decided to first start with the health sector. We will interact with trade unions at the grass root level because they are the factions that know the real situation in the health sector,” the thera told a news conference today.

He said trade unions had become victims of political parties today and that they were no longer contributing to the welfare of the workers and the general public. “There have been many incidents where union leaders had achieved some of their demands which are commendable. But today trade unions seem to have no interest in their members or the public,” he said.

The Thera said that strikes carried out by the health sector trade unions that effected the treatment of patients were unacceptable. He charged that the Health Minister’s appointment of unqualified people to the health sector was the root cause of all these problems, including labour unrest.

“We will make provisions to train unqualified employees and look into their welfare. We will also appoint a Buddhist monk to operate in selected trade unions in order to help them,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)




Pix by Nisal Baduge