• Petroleum, ports, water supply, electricity, health, education sectors’ TUs to take additional separate action, including strikes, over new tax policy    

Trade unions (TU) representing many sectors including petroleum, ports, water supply, electricity, health and education are to hold a massive joint demonstration in Colombo today (8) and take separate trade union actions, including strikes, urging the Government to revoke the newly introduced tax policy, which they claim to be extremely unfair.

Speaking to the media yesterday (7), Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) General Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said: “We protest against these unfair tax revisions as a collective of trade unions. As one stage of our struggle, we have decided to hold a massive protest in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station on Wednesday (8). This will be the biggest protest attended by all categories of professionals in recent history. At the same time, each trade union will initiate separate actions too. As medical officers, we have come to a decision to withdraw from all our services to the private sector except emergency care services. Accordingly, both Government medical officers and those who are working full time for the private sector will withdraw from their services. Through all these measures, we are warning the Government that we will be taking all possible measures against the newly introduced tax policies.”

Although the GMOA had initially planned to withdraw from their private practices today (8), they had later decided to launch a 24 hour token strike starting from 8 a.m. today at hospitals islandwide. The decision was taken at an urgent meeting convened by the GMOA’s General Committee yesterday. However, it stated that the essential services including functions at children’s hospitals, maternity hospitals, and the National Cancer Institute (Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama) will not be disrupted by the token strike. 

Meanwhile, Bandula Saman Kumara of the Podujana Progressive Employees' Union – Petroleum Branch, commenting to the media on the protest to be held today, said: “The Government has brought together all the trade unions representing the most important sectors such as petroleum, ports, electricity and water supply, irrespective of any political difference. Against this unfair tax policy, all of us have planned a massive protest at 12 noon tomorrow in Colombo Fort. This will be the largest protest in recent times. By protesting in this manner, we tell the Government that its’ attack on the working people of the country is extremely unfair. We ask President and Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and the Cabinet to come and tell us how to live with the meagre salaries that we get. If the tax policy is not withdrawn even after this protest, our next steps will include trade union actions such as a work to rule action and even strikes.”

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), which is also a member of the collective of trade unions against the newly introduced tax revisions, is to take part in the protest today. Commenting to the media yesterday, its Media Spokesman Nadeesh de Silva said: “We have been carrying out various forms of struggles to force the Government to revoke these tax reforms, but it has not yet been done. As the latest move, we have decided to boycott all meetings of the Senate, Faculty Boards and Councils during this week. As we are well aware of the crisis situation in the country including in the education sector, we will not withdraw from academic activities this week. We will also take part in the protest to be held in Colombo Fort with the participation of many trade unions and we will launch a token strike covering all the Universities on that day.”

Several other trade unions representing public servants, including the Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) and the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) which handed over a letter to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies on Monday (6), demanding that the high bank interest rates be lowered, and that the new personal income tax reforms be revised in favour of the people, warned of a massive trade union action from 20 February, if their demands are not positively responded to by the Government. They also stated that in addition to the trade union action on 20 February, they would support the protest which is to be held in Colombo Fort today.