Ramalingham Chandraseger leading a strike demonstartionColombo, 11 July, (Asiantribune.com): Ramalingham Chandraseger, claimed that the token strike that was organized yesterday by the Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna was a great success and said that in the near future they are planning further trade union action to bring the government led by President Mahinda Rajapakse to its knees.
He said more political actions against the government are envisaged in the future.
The party list MP and the Deputy Chairman of the Committees while speaking to Asian Tribune said that 70% of the workers in the country struck work and as far as the plantation sector was concerned, 90% of the estate workers did not report for work.
When Asian Tribune asked whether the statement made by the Chairman of the National Trade Union Centre, K.D. Lal Kantha was factually correct, claiming that strike was a success? Chandraseger said that was the truth and a factually correct statement. In fact the strike brought the government to a standstill he emphasized.
According to him, 70 per cent of teachers, 95 pc of staff at the Central Mail Exchange, 60 pc of railway staff and 94 locomotive drivers, 72 pc of hospital staff, 95 pc of staff at the State Printing Corporation, 40 pc of staff at the SLBC and 65 pc of the SLRC were on strike yesterday.
He added that estate workers too, contributed to token strike in a big way and he pointed out those workers at estates in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Welimada, Ratnapura and Matara joined the strike.