(FT) Railway strike called off, no action against striking employees: Rajitha

• Health, education and railway services to be made ‘closed’ services
• No disciplinary action as unions agreed to discussions with ministerial committee

By Skandha Gunasekara

No action will be taken against railway workers who failed to report to work despite railway services being declared an essential service, Cabinet Co-spokesman Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne assured yesterday.

The Minister said that no disciplinary action would be taken against railway employees who failed to report to duty as the railway unions had taken the opportunity to discuss their grievances with the Government.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing, Minister Senaratne said that the striking railway workers had called off their island-wide strike following successful discussions with the four-member ministerial committee consisting of himself, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, who headed the commission.

The Minister said that it has been decided that health, education and railway services will be made closed services so as not to have future issues with employee salaries.

“I will be submitting a proposal to Cabinet next week seeking to make railway, education and health services closed services so that any salary increments in one would not have an effect on the same grade in another sector.”

The Minister said that no disciplinary action would be taken against railway employees who failed to report to duty as railway unions had taken the opportunity to discuss their grievances with the Government.

Some 12 railway unions carried out a country-wide strike for seven days in spite of President Maithripala Sirisena urging the strikers to report back to work to facilitate the travel of students sitting for the national ordinary level examination this month.

Source: Daily FT

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