7 October 2019 12:01 am
By Mahinda Nissanka
The Alliance of the Railway Operation Supervisory Officers’ Union said that they will continue with their strike action for the 12th day today because there is no solution to their salary issues by the government authorities.
They said that some authorities are making arrangements to cancel the discussions instead of finding a solution for this strike. The State Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation has taken steps to cancel the discussion that had been scheduled to be held on October 4. The strike action would have resolved by now if we had given the opportunity to meet and discuss our grievances with the representatives of the National Salary Commission, the General Secretary of the Locomotive Operating Engineering Association, Indika Dodamgoda said. All the members of the trade unions have decided unanimously to continue the strike until such time that a solution would be given to their salary problem according to the General Secretary of the Railway Station masters Association, Janaka Fernando.
He said further that declaring railway as an essential service by the Minister concerned is an insult because railway service was gazetted as an essential service on a previous occasion as well.