A joint token strike would be staged in the Public, Private and Estate sectors against the recent electricity tariff hike on May 21, the newly formed trade union umbrella, Co – ordination Committee for Trade Union Alliance announced yesterday.
Convenor of the new alliance Wasantha Samarasinghe told The Island that they would continue their agitation based on the government’s response to the May 21 token strike.
"People in the entire country are suffering from the 60 per cent electricity tariff hike," he said adding that this was the highest ever increase in electricity tariff in the history of the country.
The government did not honour the people’s trust when it increased the electricity prices, Samarasinghe said adding that around 95 per cent of the people were against the increase when the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka called for public views.
He said that the government was turning a blind eye to massive corruption and waste in the Ceylon Electricity Board, but increasing tariffs to cover its losses.
"We will give the government until May 20 to reduce power prices, if it fails we will go ahead with the planned trade union action," Samarasinghe said.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), National Trade Union Centre (NTUC), Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS), Postal and Telecommunication Officers’ Union, All Ceylon Trade Union Federation, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union, Lanka National Estate Workers Union, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union, All Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union, Public Service National Trade Union Federation, Eksath Kamkaru Sammelanaya, Inter University Employees’ Union will participate in the joint token strike.
