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Grama Niladharis pause protest for promotions, daily Rs. 2,500 fee guarantee
View(s):By Ishu Bandara
The Grama Niladhari (GN) officers have officially paused their planned picketing and street protests after the Ministry of Public Administration intervened and promised to resolve long-standing benefits, allowances and other issues.
However, the unions made it clear that they will refrain from Ditwah disaster services and any future disaster duties until the government provides a permanent and legally binding solution.
The decision to pause the silent protest on March 3 came after an emergency meeting on Friday.
Ministry Secretary S. Aloka Bandara gave verbal and written assurance to fix the grading anomalies of the 2009/2010 recruitment batch.
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- Grama Niladhari meeting with Secretary Aloka Bandara
Sri Lanka Grama Niladhari National Union General Secretary Nevile Wijerathna told the Sunday Times, “The ministry promised to prepare and submit a Cabinet paper within two weeks to promote these officers to Grade I, effective from October 15, 2025. We welcome this, but we will keep a close eye, as many promises in the past have not been fulfilled.
“Our decision is a conditional suspension. We have paused the picketing to allow the administrative process to move forward. However, we have set a firm deadline of March 16. If the Government fails to deliver on its promise by then, we will resume direct action.’’
The Sunday Times learns the 2009/2010 batch of Grama Niladharis was recruited to Grade II based on the 2007 examination. However, the government later created Grade III and placed them in that grade instead. Even after 17 years, these officers remain in Grade II. But officers recruited later, for instance, in 2014, are eligible to reach Grade I within 15 years under the amended service minute.
Grama Niladhari Union secretary Wijerathne said, “Since 2013, when we first identified this issue, 24 ministry secretaries have come and gone. Not a single secretary has remained in the position for even three years. Every time a new secretary is appointed, they discuss the matter and promise a solution, but within eight months, that person is transferred.”
“It has been 17 years now. There has been no salary alignment for these officers, and it is a grave injustice,” he said.
In the meantime, while the Grama Niladhari picketing has been put on hold, the boycott of disaster duties remains in force. The officers of the Disaster Duties Integrated Trade Union Alliance, which includes GN unions, disaster relief officers and technical officers, withdrew from all disaster-related duties from Friday.
Mr Wijethilaka said, “For 93 days, through floods and landslides where people died and houses were destroyed, we gave full support for three months. We paid for petrol and maintained our bicycles and vehicles with our own money. We served for the people of the country. There is no allowance to maintain vehicles. There are no boots, no raincoats, no flashlight, and no first-aid kit. Even when there are floods, there are no boats for the Grama Niladhari, but we still did the work.”
The alliance union is demanding a daily allowance of Rs. 2,500 for disaster work, a fuel allowance of at least 20 litres for field visits, safety gear such as boots, raincoats, flashlights and first-aid kits, as well as communication and technical support, including boats for operations in flooded areas.
The Sunday Times learns that under the current government rules, compensation of up to Rs. 500,000 can be paid even for minor house damage. Non-payment has caused public anger and increased the risk of corruption. Officers face anger when they try to make fair assessments.
For example, a house with one broken window may receive the same Rs. 500,000 as a house that is half damaged.
The unions say that billions are at risk, while Grama Niladhari officers are blamed for mistakes.
Mr Wijerathna said, “Whatever decision the government takes or whatever circular is issued, when it comes to payments at ground level, we are the ones who have to recommend them. All the public resistance comes to us: ‘We didn’t receive it,’ ‘It wasn’t enough,’ ‘We were not given assistance.’ All of that is directed at the Grama Niladhari.”
“If the government is audited one day for wasting public funds, it is the Grama Niladhari who will be held responsible. The name of the next disaster may change, whether it is a flood, strong winds or a landslide, but the process we are required to follow remains the same. We have withdrawn from all disaster duties. We will return only after the authorities hold discussions with us and provide proper solutions,” he said on behalf of the GN union alliance.
The union alliance has asked for an urgent discussion with the President, seeking to bypass ministry-level channels. They argue that only executive-level intervention can resolve the systemic issues.
This is a matter of national concern, as the services of Grama Niladharis during disasters extend beyond routine duties and are essential, civil society activists say.
To get a comment on the matter, the Sunday Times attempted to contact the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Aloka Bandara, but was unsuccessful.
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