Sri Lanka trade union calls on working people to take action to win salary increase

Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) affiliated National Trade Union Center (NTUC) today called on the working masses to be prepared to launch trade union action to win a Rs. 9,000 salary increase.

NTUC Head and JVP politburo member, K.D. Lalkantha told a press conference today that the government was not going to grant the demanded salary increase to the working masses and is unable to address their grievances.

Lalkantha said that the NTUC has already formed a joint alliance with several trade unions to demand from the government a Rs. 9,000 salary increment and to address the existing salary anomalies in the public sector.

He said that trade unions affiliated to the movement have already launched several protest campaigns and would continue to do so.

Lalkantha noted that going by the comments made by senior government members, it was evident that the government is unable to grant a decent salary increase to the working people and would therefore not grant any relief to them in the forthcoming 2011 budget.

"Workers would have to resort to trade union action to win their demands," he said.