The President’s Office (PMD) says Trade Union representatives from a number of essential service-providing institutions have announced their decision not to support the strike which is expected to be launched on Friday, the 6th of May.
The PMD said the Trade Union representatives said the strike is being organized to cause inconvenience to the general public in order to achieve narrow political gains.
They further said that they would take all necessary steps to provide their services uninterrupted.
The Trade Union representatives expressed these views during a meeting held with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo Fort last evening (03).
The Trade Union representatives pointed out that the scheduled strike was not on behalf of workers’ rights but for the benefit of several political parties.
The strike is aimed at exacerbating the current economic crisis and oppressing the people. Therefore, the union representatives said that it was the duty and responsibility of all employees to understand the situation and to ensure that the lives of the people are not inconvenienced.
The President pointed out the need to adopt new methods and move away from political divisions to overcome the economic crisis, adding that the political motive behind the strikes is to intensify the economic crisis.
He further said that after realizing this situation, it is vital not to allow the institutions to be collapsed.
The President also thanked the workers who performed their duties despite the strike on the 28th of April and requested all trade unions to understand the situation and provide the necessary assistance to the people to lead a normal life.
Ministers Dilum Amunugama, Mohan de Silva, Kanchana Wijesekera, Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, and MP Gamini Lokuge, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Secretaries to the Ministries of Transport, Power and Energy and Ports and Shipping, Heads of Institutions, and Trade Union representatives were also present at the meeting. (NewsWire)