JVP trade unions announce token strike demanding wage increase

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, 10:19 GMT]
The National Trade Union Centre (NTUC), which claims that it comprises of hundreds of public, private and state sector trade unions, has called for a one-day token general strike on July 10 demanding a salary increase of five thousand rupees to public, private and state sector employees and a five hundred rupees increase in the daily wage of plantation workers. NTUC is backed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)

"We were reluctant to call for trade union action in past because of the security situation. But, we cannot keep quiet any longer as the cost of living situation has worsened," said JVP parliamentarian K.D.Lalkantha, President of the NTUC at a press briefing held Monday evening in the auditorium of the National Library Services Board.

He said the union wrote a letter to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa demanding the salary increase with effect from June 1. But, the SL President ignored the letter, Mr. Lalkantha charged.

"If the government decided to call July 10 as a public holiday in the same way they did last week when teachers planned a sick note campaign on June 11 and 12, we will launch our general strike on the following day. If the government still failed to grant the demands even after the token strike we will launch continuous strike countrywide," Lalkantha stressed.