Postal workers refuse to return to work : Over 1500 sacks of mail stuck at BIA

Joint Postal Trade Union Front has refused the calls by the Postmaster General Rohana Abeyratne, to return to work unless their demands are met. Issuing a communique convenor of the front, Chinthaka Bandara said under no circumstance will the workers return to work as officials have not shown any interest in their issues. 

According to Chinthaka Bandara, convener of the Union, despite a joint ministerial communique signed by Minister Sarath Amunugama and Minister Abdul Haleem on January 12, 2018, promising to resolve the issues faced by them, no action has been taken as yet. “Again on June 1 we were told solutions will be provided in another two weeks,” he said adding that too has lapsed now.

Meanwhile 1,500 airmail sacks had piled up at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) due to the ongoing postal work stoppage sources said. Accordingly, mail sacks were also seen piled up at the Central Mail Exchange (CME) as mail collection and distribution islandwide has come to a standstill as a result of the strike action.

Other than mail collection and distribution, postal services such as pension payments, examination payments and spot fine payments has also been totally disrupted following the strike causing severe inconvenience to the public.

However Postmaster General Rohana Abeyratne has requested all postal department employees to halt their strike action and report to work immediately. Releasing a communiquéhe urged the employees to resolve their problems and demands through discussions.
 
“The Minister of Posts, Ministry Secretary and I as the Postmaster General, agree that the demands presented by the Unions are fair,” the communique said.
 
The Postmaster General also assured that their demands will be addressed within a month. “An acceptable solution will be provided,” he said, adding that the Department should be protected from competitors by providing services to the public.
 
The strike which commenced on June 10 has reached its seventh day. According to sources of the Department of Posts, it is incurring a loss of Rs. 150 million daily as a result of the ongoing strike.