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Govt.,
rail unions stick to their guns
The trade unions which launched the strike are demanding from the Government the nullification of the Gazette notification setting up the Sri Lanka Railway Authority while the Government is standing firm on its decision not to scrap it. However, sticking to their guns by the parties has greatly inconvenienced ordinary people as many of them have been stranded either in railway stations or on the roads while some people even had to skip going to work because of the strike. Those who normally travel by train have had to spend an additional fifteen to twenty rupees to travel by bus. They have been further inconvenienced as a result of traffic jams created with more vehicles being on the roads. The number of trains operating has dropped to less than 20 from the over 320 running on a normal day with the Government seeking the support of retired railway workers to operate the trains. "The railway strike has resulted in reducing the attendance of public sector workers who come from the outstations to Colombo. Those who come are even compelled to leave for home early by applying for short leave", sources said. The Samudra Devi train operating on a normal day between Colombo and Galle carries more than 5,000 commuters each way but because of the strike these commuters have been badly affected. "Assuming that fifty commuters can be loaded into one bus, it would require more than one hundred buses to accommodate the over 5,000 commuters who normally travel in the Samudra Devi. Moreover commuters would have to pay almost double their normal fare", a union member opposing the strike said. The strike has resulted in the Government losing millions of rupees and continuation of the strike would mean more losses. In addition railway employees themselves could face the risk of not getting their incentive payments. |
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