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Govt. servants to protest demanding monthly allowance

19 Sep 2022

  • Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union claims cost of living has nearly doubled this year
By Dinitha Rathnayake   Government employees will engage in protests islandwide this week, requesting a special monthly allowance, according to Ceylon Teachers' Services Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe. Speaking to The Morning, Jayasinghe said the protests would take place in various parts of the island. “The daily expenditures have increased drastically, and most Government employees cannot afford to live on their income. The normal expenditure of a person has increased from Rs.63,000 to Rs. 110,000 this year. How are we supposed to survive?” According to Jayasinghe, awareness programmes have taken place already, and Government employees would participate in protests starting this week. Following threats and a strike by Government officers, demanding a salary hike of at least Rs. 18,000 to cover the rising cost of living, the Cabinet of Ministers decided in January this year to award Rs. 5,000 in monthly special allowances to all public sector employees. More than 700,000 State sector employees attached to the Sri Lanka Government Officers’ Trade Union Association (SLGOTUA) were engaged in a one-day strike, claiming that the Government had not responded to their request to increase the salaries of public servants as a remedy to the rising cost of living.  This was after warning that it would initiate trade union actions without giving notice if the Government did not increase the salaries of public servants through the 2022 Budget. Pointing out further that the prices of essential items have increased several times during the past few months, the SLGOTUA had urged the Government to increase the salaries of public servants by at least Rs. 18,000.


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