Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today visited the P. D. Sirisena Stadium in Colombo to inspect preparations for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) May Day rally, which will be held at the venue to mark International Workers’ Day.

Premadasa reviewed arrangements, including the construction of the main stage and other logistical details, for the rally scheduled for tomorrow (01).

He was accompanied by SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, National Organizer Tissa Attanayake, MPs S. M. Marikkar and Mujibur Rahuman, along with several Colombo District political representatives. (Newswire)

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The National People’s Power (NPP) has announced plans to hold 21 May Day rallies across 21 major cities of Sri Lanka, with the participation of its senior leadership.

According to a statement from the NPP, Party Leader and President Anura Dissanayake will attend the May Day rally in Nuwara Eliya on the morning of May 1, followed by the rally in Maharagama in the afternoon. 

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya is scheduled to join the May Day rally in Ratnapura.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva will take part in rallies in Kalutara, Matara, and Tangalle, while Bimal Ratnayake is expected to participate in rallies in Vavuniya and Jaffna.

Other NPP leaders, including Vijith Herath, K.D. Lal Kantha, Sunil Handunneththi, Nalinda Jayatissa, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Anura Karunathilaka, and Harshana Nanayakkara will join May Day events in additional locations across the country. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police have announced that a special traffic plan and security arrangements will be in place for May Day rallies and processions scheduled across the country on World Labour Day, May 1, 2026.

According to the Police, the measures are designed to ensure peaceful commemorations, smooth vehicular movement, and public safety as political parties and trade unions prepare to stage rallies not only in Colombo but also in major cities, including Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle, Matara, and Kalutara.

Police stations nationwide have been instructed to implement traffic control, road safety, and crowd management measures. 

The Inspector General of Police has directed Senior Deputy Inspectors General in charge of provinces to oversee security and logistical arrangements for outstation rallies.

In Colombo, where the largest gatherings are expected, rallies and processions organized by political parties and trade unions will follow designated routes under the traffic plan.

The Police said that the arrangements aim to create a safe environment for May Day celebrations, while maintaining normal traffic flow across the island.

Traffic plans to be implemented for rallies in and around Colombo are as follows;

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The United National Party (UNP) has informed that it will not participate in the May Day Rally organized by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) this year, citing the coincidence of May 1 with the religious observance of the full moon Poya day.

In a letter dated April 27, UNP General Secretary Thalatha Atukorale noted that while many people expect the UNP and SJB to work together, the party had already decided to refrain from political activities on May Day when it falls on a Poya day. 

She recalled that former President Ranasinghe Premadasa had emphasized the importance of dedicating such occasions to religious observances rather than political events.

Atukorale stated that, as a result, UNP members will not be able to participate in the May Day rallies organized by the SJB or any other party this year. 

However, she reiterated that the UNP remains prepared to collaborate with the SJB in future political activities, and expressed wishes for success in the SJB’s endeavours. (Newswire)

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Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has invited the United National Party (UNP) to join the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) May Day rally, calling for unity in protecting workers’ rights and advancing national prosperity.

In a special statement for International Workers’ Day, Premadasa said the SJB seeks to take the foremost step toward safeguarding the rights of working people while steering the country forward through social democracy and a social market economy. 

He emphasized the need to move away from failed political culture and gambling politics, and instead rebuild the nation through policy‑based governance.

Premadasa extended his invitation not only to the UNP and its supporters but also to all progressive citizens committed to the country’s development. 

He urged them to join hands with the SJB and gather at the P.D. Sirisena Stadium in Colombo on May 1. (Newswire)

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The United National Party (UNP) has issued a special statement addressing misinformation circulating on social media ahead of International Workers’ Day (May Day) on May 1.

The UNP said that several posts shared online using the UNP’s official symbols are completely false and do not represent its stance.

The party noted that this year, May 1 coincides with Vesak Poya, and therefore, the UNP has not decided to hold any May Day celebration either independently or in collaboration with another party or organization.

The statement further noted that any official announcement regarding May Day activities would be released exclusively through the UNP’s verified Facebook page and official YouTube channel. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has announced that it will not conduct its rally on International Labour Day, marked on May 01. 

Addressing the media, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said a decision has been taken by the party to conduct the rally on another day. 

“This year’s Labour Day has fallen on a Poya. Some prominent Buddhist monks have also predicted that this may be the Vesak Poya, even though the government has declared it as May 31st. Under these circumstances, we have decided as a party to mark May Day on a different date, taking into consideration the public and the rights of workers,” he said. 

Sagara Kariyawasam clarified that, as such, the Labour Day rally will not be conducted on May 01 and that the party was making arrangements to conduct it on another day. (Newswire)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized that his political movement, which has successfully navigated the extremely challenging task of gaining power by dedicating itself to one purpose for over sixty-five years, will certainly win the challenge of building this country and fulfilling the needs of the people. 

The President said that the country is governed today by a movement that is ready to build the country and move forward, and that the time has come for the trade unions in this country to abandon their out-dated practices and adopt new ones, inviting all trade unions to join hands with the government to make the exercise of building the country a success. 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while addressing the National People’s Power (NPP) May Day Rally held at Galle Face Green in Colombo yesterday (01 May). 

A huge crowd participated in this public rally held under the theme ‘Rata Hadana Jana Balaya Pela Gasena Mai Raliya’.

The President speaking at the rally stated that today, only the National People’s Power exists as a political movement and that the future of this country and the future of the people completely depend on the party. 

The President’s full speech at the NPP’s May Day rally;

We have celebrated May Day for a long time. On each occasion, our expectation has been to rally the people to gain power. Today, for the first time, we are holding a massive rally to gather the people to build this country. 

Today, only the National People’s Power exists as a political movement. We all must understand that the future of this country, the future of the people of this country completely depend on the National People’s Power. Nothing else is political movement anymore. They are a pile of wreckage. But voices are heard here and there. They held power for a long time. They did not stop there and drew a power map for their generation. They thought that they would be able to continue to hold power in the hands of their generations and oppress the common people. But on September 21, the people of this country took a very bold decision. The people of this country were able to completely overthrow the power map that had been drawn for many generations and transfer power to the common people. Today, we hear the anguish of losing that power and disappointment. 

Also, when they were in power, they squandered the wealth of the public and lived a life of great privilege. They lived a life that was not subject to the common law. They used great power above the common people and held power. But today, they are subject to the common law and have lost their privileges. The law has been implemented equally. Therefore, they are desperate now.

On the other hand, they know better than us the extent of fraud and corruption they have done. And they know who we are. They know us to the extent that they know the extent of their crime. Therefore, there is the anguish of fear. Hence, the other side of politics today is the pain of disappointment, the anguish of losing privileges, and the panic of fear. Therefore, there are no more political movements. There is no ideology and no organizational strength. There is only a collection of scattered parts here and there, not knowing what to do. 

Therefore, there is no challenge for us from outside. What is outside of us is a pile of debris, not a challenge. If so, the challenge lies within us. To overcome that challenge, we must understand the contradictions, inconsistencies and failures to adapt to new circumstances within ourselves. 

We have a legacy of sixty-five years of dedication to a single purpose. Such a movement is gathered here today. We have a purpose that has not only abandoned those closest to us in the midst of extreme defeats and challenges, but also has not given up even in the midst of building movements while resisting. Therefore, we are a group that inherits and carries on a legacy for a purpose. Sometimes we worked by the power of habit. We worked in the face of distant goals, close challenges and very confusing situations before us. Sometimes we were motivated to work by the power of habit. Now, after all that, on September 21st, we were able to take power into our own hands. Now, what we have is not the power of habit, but the power of belief. 

We believe that this country can be built. The people of this country have placed their hopes in us. As a political movement, we and the general public are motivated to work for the same goal. Therefore, we have the power of trust that goes beyond the power delegated by the Constitution that goes beyond the power we have received from Parliament. 

We have entered this with the power of trust that if we have overcome the goal of gaining power for 65 years in the face of extreme challenges for one purpose, then we will definitely achieve the building of this country and the fulfilment of the needs of the people. Therefore, we have taken on this task with great confidence. 

We must understand the nature of the reality before us. We have a very harsh reality before us. An economy that has collapsed to the bottom, a society in which compassion for others has collapsed, a society in which the law was being run in the way each individual wanted, collapsed institutional systems and a society in which every citizen was disappointed with social responsibilities. We must understand the harsh reality before us. But we are fighting for social justice and social equity. It is a fight that will not be abandoned. But we know that it is a fabric that needs to be woven systematically. Creating social justice and creating social equity is not something that can be done overnight. But we are implementing a very systematic fabric for this social justice and social equity. 

We should not expect results in six months after being dragged to the brink of destruction for 76 years. We have understood the extremely harsh reality. Creating a more optimistic future is a much planned endeavour. I assure the people of this country that we will review that effort very strongly and successfully. There are no shortcuts in transforming the harsh reality into a new path. This is a very systematic and planned exercise. We in the National People’s Power have well understood the expectations of the people and the weight of the trust that the people have placed in us. Therefore, we have begun the journey of transforming this destructive society into a society with very sharp social attitudes and an economy with very systematic and planned methods. 

We had a country without a foundation. A country that was floating like a ship with a broken mast. A country and a society without a goal and purpose. If we are to change this systematically, we must first create a strong foundation. Therefore, we have been making maximum efforts to create this strong foundation over the past period. 

The first of the key pillars of this foundation is clean, untainted politics. After 76 years, Sri Lanka has seen the rise of a political movement that does not steal or waste even a single rupee of public funds. To build on this strong foundation, national unity is essential. At the last general election, the people themselves took the lead. The people of the North and East placed great trust in the National People’s Power and stepped ahead of us. We must acknowledge that our political engagement in the North and East has been minimal, and our communication has primarily been in Sinhala. 

Yet, their rejection of traditional political parties and leaders, and the trust they have placed in us, clearly signals the need for national unity. We will never allow these communities to be left behind. We affirm their rights—to their culture, language and ancestral lands—as well as their right to live as citizens of this country. That is the second pillar of rebuilding the nation. 

We also need a strong public service. For that reason, we have increased the basic salaries of public servants and are transforming the public sector into an attractive place to work. At the same time, our government—the National People’s Power administration—is working to eliminate the longstanding negligence and inefficiency that have plagued the public service. 

We have taken steps to re-establish the supremacy of the rule of law. For the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, a true political transformation has occurred where the law is applied equally to everyone. However, there are still those who cling to the old ways and spread stories based on the past. 

But this is a new country. Everyone is subject to the law. Everyone is equal before the law. If anyone still believes that institutions like the Attorney General’s Department, the Criminal Investigation Department or the Bribery Commission are tools used only against ordinary people, they are stuck in the past. We have built a new era—one in which the law applies to all equally. 

This transformation is not just institutional or legal—it is practical and real. Our government is sending a clear message that no matter when a crime or act of corruption occurred, there will be consequences. Everyone must fear the law and live under it. That is the foundation and a path to building a society. We have built that path. 

Internationally, Sri Lanka was once viewed negatively. But today, step by step, we are gaining international recognition. We have created a government that can stand confidently before the world, asserting our sovereignty and putting the nation first. That’s why the Japanese and the Chinese projects that were halted have been resumed. We have laid a strong foundation for international cooperation. 

On this foundation, we are constructing a strong nation one that values equality, justice, social harmony, mutual respect, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and compassion even towards animals. That is the kind of society we must build. 

As a political authority, we have a great responsibility. We understand our duties, our limitations, our strengths and our weaknesses. We rely on those with the capabilities we may lack. Accordingly, we are committed to politics free from corruption, fraud and destruction. But to build upon this foundation, we need real political transformation and we are leading that change. 

We invite our entrepreneurs and industrialists to invest. Let us know what support or solutions you need—we will provide them. We have already drawn up plans for Colombo. No commercially valuable land in the city will be left idle during our term. Everything will be used for the country’s development. 

Our agricultural lands must also be revived. We expect a new agricultural revolution, where no inch of abandoned farmland remains unused. We are increasing fertilizer subsidies, providing quality seeds, introducing new technology to agriculture and ensuring stable prices. It’s time to cultivate this land again—and we need your support, the farmers of this nation, to rebuild the country. 

Similarly, we pledge our full support to the fishing community, who bring in harvests from the vast seas. Help us rebuild this country. Especially, trade unions must now move beyond out-dated ideas. The era of fighting for small issues is over. A political authority has arrived that abandons everything. We are abandoning many things that have been given to us through acts, gazettes, and regulations. 

We have worked with you. We understand your expectations. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have increased your basic salaries. Without you even asking, we raised your basic pay and allowances. We increased disaster loans and disaster allowances. But don’t let a few isolated issues provoke you into protest. That’s not fair. 

Today, a movement has arrived that is ready to take the country forward, intervening in building the country. The time has come for the trade unions in this country to abandon their out-dated practices and adopt new ones. Today, there is a political movement that believes that the public service should be strengthened, a political movement that believes that a strong public service is necessary to build this country. Today, there is a political movement that believes that groups with the ability and capacity should be obtained for a strong public service, also, a political movement that believes that their promotion, their future should be given not on politics but on their ability and talent. 

Today, the country is being led by a political movement that understands the pulse of the trade union movement—a movement that has worked hand in hand with trade unions, fought for their aspirations, and raised its voice on their behalf. So, what conflict could possibly exist between us? There is no room for discord. We extend an open invitation to all trade union movements to join us in this national endeavour to rebuild the country. Our youthful movement has a great responsibility ahead. The younger generation was once presented with a bleak picture of their future a shattered dream. But today, we are creating a new generation of young people who dare to dream once more. 

Be ready to fulfil the responsibility entrusted to you. Let us all come together citizens, artists, writers, fishermen, farmers, entrepreneurs, industrialists and politicians – and strive with unity. Let us build a better country not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come. Let us create a better nation for the children of this country. We have acquired this country, this power for that. Therefore, I say with great responsibility and confidence that there are scoundrels and liars outside. Politics is with us. The challenge is with us. There are no challenges outside. 

Today, hundreds of thousands of people from villages across the country have gathered here. I don’t know if my friend has gone and taken charge of the villages—but once the crowd reaches Galle Face, they claim to have “seized the village.” That’s nothing more than empty words. Is that politics? Those political games are over. Political ideologies without substance are over. There is no unity—only deep confusion. At times, what is written isn’t spoken. What is said on one stage is contradicted on another. It’s complete chaos.

That’s why I say—the so-called external challenge is over. What must we do now? We must grow stronger. We must take the people forward and begin the journey of transforming this nation into a truly effective state. A state that can end this struggle in victory, a country with a promising future, a nation where our children’s future is secure. Let us begin that journey with a new step—with renewed energy and direction. 

What does the presence of hundreds of thousands gathered here at Galle Face show the world? It sends a clear message: we are ready to take on this challenge. We are ready to rebuild this country. And the most trustworthy movement to lead that effort is the National People’s Power. That is the message—to the country, to the world, and to those clinging to empty spectacles. The future of this nation lies with us. 

We must now take a bold new leap forward. That leap can begin on May 6. The President, the Cabinet, Parliament and local councils must work together—united under a single vision. If we are to rebuild this country, political authority must be brought under one unified direction. Today, the President, the Cabinet, and Parliament are under the leadership of the National People’s Power. Therefore, the Local councils and Urban Councils should also be entrusted to the National People’s Power. The people connected to those institutions must stand together. The people connected to these institutions must stand united. All streams of governance must come together in alignment. Just as the central government must be clean and free from corruption, so must our local councils. When that happens, the national government will function effectively, and the local government will deliver results. To make this a reality, we ask for a strong and clear mandate from the people. (Newswire)

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By Sanjana Hattotuwa, Senior Researcher

Eight years ago to the day, journalist Azzam Ameen posted a tweet capturing what at the time was the Joint Opposition’s May Day rally at Galle Face. Individuals like Wimal Weerawansa were reported as saying the crowd was around 2 million, but in a detailed assessment of crowd strength (Doing the math: 2017 May Day rally of the Joint Opposition), I determined it to be around 118,000.

Ameen tweeted similar photos of the NPP’s May Day rally at Galle Face in 2025, which was the site of 2022’s GotaGoGama. Newspaper reports indicated the General Secretary of NPP, Nihal Abeysinghe, expected around 100,000 participants. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for Traffic Control and Road Safety, Indika Hapugoda, had a much higher number. He said around 221,000 people would arrive via 5,532 buses (a conservative average of around 39 per bus, even though an Ashok Leyland Viking can seat 58).

Used, as I did in 2017, the sui generis MapChecking platform to determine crowd strength at NPP’s May Day rally. On the other hand, social media commentator Dinidu de Alwis used ChatGPT, which through its own visual analysis noted “a very rough crowd estimate between 100,000 and 225,000 people”.

I primarily based crowd strength on this photo by posted by Ameen – one of four he tweeted.

The crowd’s in roughly four distinct segments.

1. Just past the Galle Face roundabout to around the entrance of the Taj Samudra hotel, there’s an audience segment that doesn’t extend to the walking path.
2. From beyond the Taj Samudra entrance to past One Galle Face (OGF), the crowd spills over to the walking path adjacent to the sea.
3. Separated by tents and temporary structures from the main crowd, the pavement/walking path next to Galle Road is also filled with people, extending to OGF.
4. At the time the photo was taken, Galle Road is also occupied by supporters, though with significantly less density than areas to its left.

The first section of the crowd, at a density of 4 per square meter (sqm) had ~39,457 people. 

The second section, at a density of 3.5 per sqm (accounting for what’s in some sections a crowd that’s visibly less than in other parts), had ~151,695 people.

The third section, at 3 per sqm (assuming that the crowd was as densely packed throughout as it is at the start, which is impossible to determine accurately because of tree cover, but has a very high likelihood), had around 38,439 people.

The fourth section, with the least density, calculated at 0.15 per sqm, featured ~1,496.

In total, the NPP’s May Day rally had, at the time Ameen’s photos were taken, around 231,087 people at Galle Face.

This is roughly around the same number DIG Hapugoda noted (221,000) and the upper limit of what de Alwis’ query from ChatGPT generated (225,000). 

The story was originally published on LinkedIn and has been published on Newswire with the author’s consent. 

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The National People’s Power (NPP) has informed the Police that around 5,532 buses will arrive at the Galle Face Green in Colombo for the party’s May Day rally, commemorating Labour Day today, it was reported.

According to the Lankadeepa newspaper, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for Traffic Control and Road Safety, Indika Hapugoda, said around 221,000 people will arrive via the buses. 

He said arrangements have been made to park the buses at Khan Roundabout, Fort Railway Station, Regal Cinema, Old Manning Market, Gamini Roundabout, Baladaksha Mawatha, Galle Central Road, Ood MOD land, in front of the Sri Lanka Air Force building, Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawath, Colpetty Junction, and near the Colombo Lotus Tower.

Stating that 85 Police officers have been deployed for traffic management in Colombo today, he said that around 2000 Police officers, including those in civil, Special Task Force, and Intelligence Unit, have also been deployed across Colombo. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Police has announced special security and traffic arrangements in view of May Day rallies to be held across the country tomorrow (01 May) to commemorate Labour Day.

The Police have taken measures to provide security and traffic arrangements for the processions and rallies that have been planned by political parties across Sri Lanka. 

Political rallies, processions, and events have been planned in several areas of Colombo and in Thalawakele. 

The processions and rallies to be held tomorrow are as follows;

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Sri Lanka Police have announced that permission is required for the use of drones to capture pictures and videos of May Day rallies planned across the nation today to commemorate Labour Day.

The Police said it is prohibited from using drones to cover the proceedings of May Day rallies, processions and other related activities without prior permission.

They further warned that legal action will be initiated against those using drones without permission.

Several May Day Rallies have been planned across Sri Lanka to commemorate Labour Day today. 

Key political parties such as the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), United National Party (UNP), and National Peoples Power (NPP) have planned rallies in Colombo.

Several other political parties have planned rallies and processions outside of Colombo. (Newswire)

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Several political parties have organized public rallies and processions tomorrow (May 01), to commemorate Labour Day.

According to the Police, special traffic plans will be implemented in view of the public rallies and processions to be held in Colombo, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Matara, Nuwara Eliya, and Kandy. 

Key political parties, such as the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Samagi Jana Balawegya (SJB), United National Party (UNP), and National Peoples Power (NPP) are only holding public rallies this year.

The SLPP will hold a public rally at Campbell Park Grounds in Borella, while the SJB’s rally will take place at Lower Chatham Street in Colombo, and the UNP will hold its rally at PD Sirisena Grounds in Maligawatte.

The NPP will hold a procession starting at 02.00 pm from the BRC Grounds in Colombo and ending at Kannagara Mawatha where the public rally will be held from 03.00 pm. 

Other political parties and workers associations will also hold processions as well as public rallies to mark Labour Day.

Following are details of the public rallies, processions, and Police traffic plans for tomorrow (May 01); 

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Everyone should join the struggle to make Sri Lanka a developed nation by 2048 and change the existing system, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said. 

He said they should not be afraid to make unpopular decisions, similar to what the United National Party (UNP) did in the past for the greater good of the nation. 

The Minister further said that this year Sri Lanka’s outdated Labour Law will be changed and the name of the UNP and the President will be etched in history for the effort.

“Today we offer our revolutionary salute to all the workers who toil hard to develop the country and to the expatriate workers who send money for us to get medicine, food and fuel” the Minister said.

When the workers were left helpless in the country that suffered from the economic collapse that started with the last Covid epidemic, we did not see appropriate decisions being made for the safety of their lives. Instead, again the workers were made a political tool. They always branded our party as an enemy of the workers. But the following efforts have been taken by us;

1. Establishment of the Employees Trust Fund
2. Increasing the interest rate given to the Employees’ Provident Fund contributors.
3. Absorbing informal employees as regular employees.
4. Introduction of a compensation formula in case of dismissal of employees.
5. Introducing the Labour Disputes Act.
6. Establishing financial stability for the future of employees by passing the Gratuity Act.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara made the remarks while speaking at the UNP May Day convention at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.

The Minister also presented eleven proposals encompassing necessary reforms in the labour sector in order to make Sri Lanka a developed country by the year 2048. The members of the United National Party raised their hands and approved the proposals.

Presenting the proposals, the Minister said: “We still have archaic labour laws, a labour law which turns away investors. In our country with a population of over 20 million, there are only a handful of tax-paying companies. There are only 80,000 institutions which contribute to the EPF and ETF. The standard of living of the worker is falling day by day. Isn’t this why the workers’ lives were so insecure during this crisis?”

It is the aim of our party and the President, to create a secure human resource in the future instead of the leftist poor worker.

Also, by creating more entrepreneurs, the challenge we face is to create a strong product as well as a strong labour force. We want to create a country that can face any economic situation in the future, he said.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said as a party with universal virtues, freed from racist, religious and narrow frameworks, which won the country’s freedom, as well as a party with a liberal philosophy, the following proposals are submitted for a strong and secure human resource in the future.

1. Formulate and adopt in the legislature a unified labour legal system that promotes small and medium-scale entrepreneurship, while protecting labour rights and ensuring social protection of workers.
2. Implementing a series of active and effective programmes to increase the number of employees, who contribute to the Employees’ Provident Fund, to increase the number of organizations that contribute, and also to include those employed in the informal sector in the Employees’ Provident Fund.
3. An extensive social security network should be implemented to stabilize an open economic policy in the country. To implement a wide social security network for the workers of the informal sector, who are not included in the formal social security systems in the country’s economy, and to implement a contributory insurance system in the event of termination of employment or loss of employment, such as is implemented in the developed countries of the world.
4. Implementation of strategic programmes to create a human resource suitable for the modern world of work that can conquer the next generation and will contribute economically and effectively in a way that suits the strategic programme to become a developed country by 2048.
5. Digitization of the labour sector and foreign employment sector to create an economically productive human resource and to ensure the safety and welfare of expatriate workers.
6. As recognized by the International Labour Organization, making necessary legal provisions to ensure the safety and health of workers in all workplaces, and respecting occupational safety and health is a fundamental right.
7. Develop a formal legal framework to prevent gender-based discrimination in the workplace, increase women’s labour force participation, and pay maternity benefits to employed women through a social security fund.
8. To create a programme to protect the pride, dignity and professionalism of regular workers in any profession.
9. Taking necessary steps to encourage disabled and people with special needs as human resources.
10. Creating a plantation worker fit for the modern world of work, with a mechanism to ensure their rights and welfare.
11. Implementation of a national market information system based on private and public labour markets with the aim of gathering large-scale data for the compilation of profiles for the technological changes that will occur in the future world of work.

Today on May 1, 2023, at Sugathadasa Indoor Sports Stadium, Colombo at the UNP May Day convention held under the theme ‘Victory by 2048’ I Manusha Nanayakkara as the Labour Minister of the current Government present this resolution consisting of 11 proposals intended to tear down the traditional thinking relegating our worker as leftist poor and to create a rich and energetic human resource suitable for the modern digital world.

The Minister invited the leaders and members of our party to approve this resolution. The proposals were approved by all those who participated in the United National Party May Day convention.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, who addressed the May rally after the adoption of the resolution, also said:

First, you belong to the human race. Secondly, only after that, you become a worker. Thirdly, you become a trade union member and activist. This was told by Bala Tampoe. This was his thinking. Why I recalled the name of Bala Tampoe today is because when former President J.R. Jayawardene tried to rebuild the country and uplift it from where it had fallen, the so-called tripartite national parties and the so-called labour organizations tried to reverse that programme. However, Bala Tampoe did not take part in such actions.

Even today, when great changes are being made in this country, various trade unions and political parties are trying to scuttle them. However, trade unions affiliated with the United National Party will fearlessly face such efforts and will support the programme that will move the country forward. It was the United National Party that worked to build the country when the people were suffering without medicine, oil, and gas. In the past, the UNP worked to bring forward the country from a closed economy to an open economy. When President J.R Jayawardena made this country an open economy, China also came to learn from us and countries like Singapore closely watched. But the former leftist movement created an unnecessary fear in the public mind about investments and entrepreneurs. 

Tomorrow we will go to a digital world. We are going on the journey of becoming a developed country in 2048. When our labour leaders boasted, Singapore was grateful to our country, Lee Kuan Yew said that it was possible to build a port in Singapore because of the Sri Lankan labour movement. Now is the time to change this. We have to build human resources suitable for the future world of work, the world of digital work. 

Ranil Wickremesinghe saw this futuristic vision in the year 2002. These people made various efforts to prevent him from coming to power. But today he has taken decisions that are necessary for the country and protect the people. He has advised creating a labour law that will create a viable background for investment, businesses to thrive and also protect the workers.

The United National Party has accepted challenges throughout its history. The party has worked for the good of the country by taking unpopular decisions. And this year, the labour law will be changed, and the name of Ranil Wickremesinghe and the United National Party will be etched in history.

We struggled in the past and faced challenges head-on. They said not to send money to the country. Tourists were told not to come to the country. At this time, President Ranil Wickrekamesinghe started the real struggle, the struggle to keep people alive. In 2048, the system change will be done to make this country an advanced and developed country. We invite you to join hands to do that system change. 

We are all human beings first. That is why the United National Party always thinks about the people. That is why we do not work for narrow political goals. 

On this International Labour Day, I offer my revolutionary salute to our workers who toiled amidst various obstacles and challenges to bring this country forward and our expatriate workers who sent foreign exchange for our people to buy medicine, fuel, gas and food. (NewsWire)

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There was a time when International Workers’ Day was marked in Cuba by parades involving more than a million people marching through Havana’s Revolution Square. Many came out of conviction, some because they were pressured, others to enjoy the party.

This Monday, however, the square will be empty, after the Cuban Communist party cancelled this year’s celebrations due to gasoline shortages that are crippling the island’s economy.

For weeks, motorists have been sleeping in their cars outside petrol stations in queues that stretch for miles and last for days.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said the island is only receiving two-thirds of the petrol it needs, and that the shortfall is due to supplier nations failing to fulfil their contractual agreements.

Jorge Piñon, director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Latin America and Caribbean energy and environment program, said this was an allusion to Venezuela. The two socialist nations have had a barter agreement since 2000: Cuba sends Venezuela doctors, teachers and – allegedly – counterintelligence agents in exchange for shipments of crude. That deal is now being strained.

“For the last two decades Venezuela has been losing that revenue by not selling that oil on the international market,” Piñon said. “I think they’ve just come to a point where they can no longer continue to provide cash-free oil to the Cubans.”

Venezuela’s exports to Cuba have dropped by about 50% over the past decade as overall oil production has decreased due to corruption, mismanagement and sanctions. But the war in Ukraine has brought a new dynamic into play.

Hungry for crude after sanctioning Russian oil and gas, Washington last November issued Chevron a license to export Venezuelan petroleum to the US for the first time in years.

This has put Cuba in a quandary: the island has plenty of crude, but it is of low quality and the island’s refineries are unable to process it. Venezuela’s higher-quality crude, it seems, is now going to the US.

Cash-crunched Cuba struggles to buy fuel, or even diluents which could be used to refine high-sulphur crude into gasoline, on the international market.

“Maximum pressure” sanctions, imposed by the Trump administration and mostly left in place by President Biden, play into this, knocking billions of dollars a year off state foreign currency earnings, penalising oil tankers that dock at the island and cutting credit lines.

Economists warn that if the situation persists, food prices will rise and productivity will fall even lower. This year’s sugar harvest is set to be the worst in over a century after diesel shortages have prevented cane getting to refineries.

Despite the malaise, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, the head of the Workers’ Central Union of Cuba, said on Tuesday that workers’ day won’t be completely cancelled. Celebrations in local communities, schools and workplaces will go ahead, under conditions of “maximum austerity”, he said.

William LeoGrande, professor of government at American University in Washington DC, who has written extensively about Cuban politics, said that turnout for the May Day parade has gradually diminished over the years as the huge excitement and hope about the social changes the revolution brought about in the 1960s and 1970s has been largely replaced by disappointment about the hardship since the 1990s.

“Revolutionary spirit has dissipated,” he said. “And honestly life is so difficult in Cuba right now there’s not much to celebrate.”

Rogelio Sanchez, 41, from a small town west of Havana, is more likely to spend the day waiting in line for fuel.

“We’ve spent four days looking for fuel,” he said. “I can’t bear this anymore.” (The Guardian)

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