While the Co-ordinating Committee of the Trade Union Alliance (CCTUA) maintained that their token strike against the electricity tariff hike was successful all round the country, the government said that overall attendance in public sector institutions had, in fact, increased by 3.5 per cent yesterday.

Former JVP MP and Co–convener of the CCTUA, Wasantha Samarasinghe said their strike had been a huge success in the public and private sectors.

He said that 201 factories in the private sector had been closed yesterday due to the absence of employees. The strike was most successful in the private sector and all employees had staged demonstrations opposite their respective institutions, he said.

“According to our records, 60 per cent of teachers did not attend school yesterday,” Samarasinghe said, adding that schools in the Ampara and Anuradhapura had been closed due to non attendance of teachers.

He claimed that 100 per cent of the employees had not reported for work on some estates, while overall 40 per cent of the estate workers had joined the strike.

Samarasinghe said that 95 per cent of the workers at the Sri Jayewardenepura hospital had joined the strike while 700 workers did not report to work at the Kalubowila Teaching hospital.

He said that 50 per cent of the Ayurveda workers countrywide supported the strike.

The former JVP MP said that workers of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority had not taken part in the strike, but they staged a demonstration.

Samarasinghe said that 90 per cent of shops had been closed in Chilaw, Anuradhapura, Mattakkuliya, Mutwal and Watawala yesterday in support of the strike

“As a token strike, it was very successful and our operational committee will meet today to decide future action as the government is yet to withdraw the electricity tariff hike,” Samarasinghe said, adding that they would announce their next action after the Vesak celebrations.

Director General of Government Information Prof. Ariyaratne Ethugala said, in a statement, that normal attendance of government servants averaged 90 per cent daily, but it had increased to 93.5 per cent yesterday. He said that public servants being present at workplaces yesterday was a clear indication that they endorsed the government’s development plans in the Fisheries, Estate and Agriculture sectors.

Prof. Ethugala said that schools and hospitals also functioned as normal yesterday.

“The government appreciates those who helped defeat the attempt to sabotage its development programmes by reporting to work yesterday,” he said.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), a main party in the CCTUA did not take part in the strike at the Colombo, Rajarata and Moratuwa universities, Engineering Faculty of Peradeniya University and the Science Faculty of Ruhuna University.

FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri said their members in other universities and faculties only boycotted lectures, but examinations and other administration activities were conducted as usual.

He said that they staged a demonstration with the participation of lecturers from the Colombo, Sri Jayewardenepura, Visual and Performing Arts and Open Universities in Nugegoda town.

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that teachers’ attendance was high yesterday and school buses, school vans operated as usual and non-academic staff too marked their presence more than on normal days.

Gunawardena said that he had visited several schools in Colombo and the ministry could provide a list of attendance by school principals, teachers and non-academic staff. later to prove the strike was highly unsuccessful.

Operations at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority were conducted as usual yesterday as 98 per cent of the employees reported to work, SLPA Deputy Chief Manager, Nalin Aponsu said.

He said that the strike was a complete failure at the Colombo port.

The National Transport Commission said that neither the SLTB nor private buses took part in the strike.

Chief Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Graduates’ Association Manula Chamal Perera said that none of the newly recruited graduates supported the strike.

UNP MP and President of the Public Service United Trade Union Federation Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that UNP only helped the JVP organised strike.

“It was successful only in some place such as Railway Department and Printing Corporation,” Madduma Bandara said adding that people got afraid when government cancelled all leave and they reported to work yesterday.(by Dasun Edirisinghe)

Source: The Island (Sri Lanka)