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Strike continues: Railway unions and Govt. on collision track
View(s):The countrywide railway strike is set to continue today, with the Government and trade unions maintaining their tough stance. The Transport Ministry is insisting that the unions should end the strike action and come for negotiations, but the unions have rejected the call. Transport Ministry Secretary G.S. Withanage told the Sunday Times that the railway unions had been invited to take part in a discussion with ministry officials on the issues concerned.
However, he insisted that the Ministry would hold talks only if the unions first called off the strike. The unions are not agreeable to this.Railway Engine Driver’s Union Secretary Indika Dodangoda said they were continuing the strike since the Governments was not granting their demands.
He said that they stopped every train including the ones that Railways General Manager had requested them to run.
“If government leaders, and the Railway authorities do not want solve the issue, we will continue the strike until our demands are met,” he vowed.
He said that the railway authorities and the General Manager had requested them to operate a fuel carrier train to the Katunayake airport yesterday as the fuel was required urgently.
“We are considering the request to run this particular trains and other trains that need to provide emergency services, but the strike will continue,” he said.
“What if we call of the trade union action and go for talks and do not still receive a solution to our problems? It is a chance that we are not willing to take as we have previously been misled,” he said.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera also said Parliament that he was ready for talks with the uninos, if they called off the strike.