Public Services Trade Unions to support Railway Workers' strike

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 January 2004, 02:03 GMT]
The Public Services Trade Union Federation (PSTUF), an umbrella organization for several trade unions warned the United National Front (UNF) government that it would rally all public sector institutions and would launch an island wide strike if the railway employees' strike is not settled by revoking or invalidating the controversial Railway Authority Act (RAA), trade union sources said.

The railway employees strike entered fifth day Saturday demanding that their trade union action would continue until the dissolved Railway Department is restored revoking the RRA.

The Attorney General (AG) Mr.K.C.Kamalasabeyson in a statement said that Transport Minister has no power to revoke or invalidate the RAA, sources said.

A delegation of railway employees' trade unions federation held talks with RAA officials Friday but it ended in failure. RAA officials said during the talks that Sri Lanka's parliaments approval with two-third majority is necessary to revoke the RAA, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry made arrangements to increase the number of buses to provide better services to commuters as the train services have been crippled for the last five days.

PSTUF President Mr.H.W.Piyadasa in a statement said if the government submitted a bill in parliament to revoke the RRA, all political parties would support it.