Train strike continues despite declaring services essential: Union

13 September 2023 06:24 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 10 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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Despite the Railway Service being declared as an Essential Service, the Sri Lanka Railways Locomotive Operating Engineers' Union will continue the ongoing strike, union secretary S.R.C.M. Senanayake said.

He told the media that if the Transport Minister or anyone else has been invited for negotiations, he will request the secretary to present them to him, and he also asserted that the rulers have no desire to end the strike.

"There should be 450 drivers, but there are only 280 in the department now," he added.

Meanwhile, letter have been issued to the 84 railway engine drivers who are on strike requesting them to report for duty immediately and if they fail they will be considered as having vacated their posts.

The Railway Locomotive Operating Engineers' Union has been on strike since midnight on Monday (11) over several key demands, including amendments to the recruitment process and promotions.

Due to the strike, commuters have been stranded as more than 128 train journeys were cancelled after the drivers withdrew from their duties.

However, the Railway Department has assigned 139 scheduled train services in the morning and evening today for the inconvenienced commuters. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)

Comments - 10

Train driver left driving trains causing people to die Wednesday, 13 September 2023 06:38 PM

All the train drivers not part of the union and driving trains are responsible for the deaths of the passengers who ride dangerously. They should never have drive train without making sure all passenger in properly.

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Army must drive trains instead of civilians Wednesday, 13 September 2023 06:40 PM

Army must take over the railways. The drivers and stations master who are operating today are causing lots of deaths by being negligent to allow for passengers to ride in dangerous way. When passenger dies, all in the train are inconvenienced. Government must sack all the drivers and station master and let Army run the Railways Department. Army cannot strike otherwise they put in prison, so government then has workforce with Army running Railways who cannot strike or complain.

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Dee Wednesday, 13 September 2023 07:09 PM

If 280 are doing 450 persons jobs- they have to be on overtime. Will they agree if OT is not allowed? We all know govt. service! Those who don’t do jack claims around 3-4 hours OT a day. They are mostly better off than a middle or sometimes, senior grade pvt. sector executive.

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Dhammika Wednesday, 13 September 2023 07:21 PM

Sack them! They cannot hold the public travellers to ransom.

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Terrence K Wednesday, 13 September 2023 07:24 PM

Why continue with the limited trains since the govt. should cancel all train services until this problem is resolved because the number of commuters cannot be accommodated in a limited number of trains and definitely there will be future disasters to commuters.? Today it is a curse of this country for strikes which is unheard in other countries where the Govt/ Unions are holding the public at ransom on one side the govt give promises and does not fulfill whilst the Unions are capitalizing on it to go on strike for the slightest shortcoming. This nonsense should be stopped on both sides.

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Terrence K Wednesday, 13 September 2023 07:24 PM

Why continue with the limited trains since the govt. should cancel all train services until this problem is resolved because the number of commuters cannot be accommodated in a limited number of trains and definitely there will be future disasters to commuters.? Today it is a curse of this country for strikes which is unheard in other countries where the Govt/ Unions are holding the public at ransom on one side the govt give promises and does not fulfill whilst the Unions are capitalizing on it to go on strike for the slightest shortcoming. This nonsense should be stopped on both sides.

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Sam Silva Wednesday, 13 September 2023 07:31 PM

Our aragalya president is busy in his joy trips after declaring railway service as essential service. Aren't we are fortunate to have this president in our country.

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Sri Lankan Wednesday, 13 September 2023 08:00 PM

How will they operate the services without the experienced drivers. The essential service order had become a joke. Saying that the train services should not be disrupted as a lot of commuters get stranded. They should submit their demands with a warning that trade union action will be their last resort!

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Tissa Fernando Wednesday, 13 September 2023 09:45 PM

JVP and Peratugami are creating chevos in the country by their trade union destructive activities. Give them power and not a single unionist will be spared if they do any strike.

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joshua Thursday, 14 September 2023 08:43 AM

Trains cannot be maneuvered like the uneducated MPs surviving in parliament. You need long term experience. You need to resolve their problems rather than trying to sack them and refusing to talk to them. Sacking will bring further trouble to the commuters whilst the so-called political fellows (including the spokesman) who are talking big will nicely drive around in fab cars at our expense. Is this what you want? think practically.

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