Postal employees threaten strike demanding salary hike

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 October 2003, 01:55 GMT]
The United Alliance Postal Employees' Unions (UAPEU) Thursday announced that a picketing campaign would be conducted in Colombo Friday to force the Sri Lanka government to consider three demands including a salary increase, said Alliance organizer Mr.V.Vivekandalingam. At the end of the picketing the date for strike action would be announced, he added. .

Several postal unions are constituents of the UAPEU with a membership of about eighty thousand.

Mr.Vivekanandalingam said the picketing is the first step to launch concerted trade union action if the Sri Lanka government failed to fulfill the Union's demands.

The other two demands are: Action should be taken to lift the suspension on housing and accident loans to postal employees, and the increase of cost of living allowance, sources said.