Trade Unions to protest

20 February 2012 02:50 pm

Thousands of members of trade unions and employees of a number of government institutions will carry out a string of mass protests starting on Wednesday February 22 in protest against the recent fuel price increase and the skyrocketing cost of living, the National Trade Union Center (NTUC) said today.

The first protests will be held on Wednesday at the Government Press and the Railway Headquarters. In the days to come several more protests will be carried out at the Sri Lanka National Hospital, Kalubowila Hospital, Jayawardenapura Hospital including ten other hospitals in the country, the Sri Lanka Water Board, and the Lake House round about. Over 3,000 are expected to partake in the trade union action NTUC Convener Samantha Koralarachchi said.

Unions have demanded the government to provide a Rs.10,000 wage hike for public sector employees and a 40 per cent wage increase for private sector employees to keep up with increasing prices. (OJ)