Postal trade unions have decided to call off their strike following discussions with Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Announcing the decision at a press briefing in Colombo, trade union representatives said the strike would end with immediate effect. Co-convener of the United Postal Trade Union Front, Chinthaka Bandara, noted that the Minister had directed the Postmaster General to find solutions to 17 out of the 19 issues raised by the unions within a month.
However, Bandara explained that the Minister did not agree to make changes regarding fingerprinting and overtime allowances. He added that possible legal measures concerning these two demands would be discussed in the future.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Minister Jayatissa said that the government had been unwilling to negotiate on two of the demands but was prepared to resolve the remaining 17. He confirmed that from 4.00 pm today, all trade unions had agreed to resume duties.
The Minister also appealed to postal employees to clear the backlog of letters and parcels accumulated during the strike, stressing the need to minimize further inconvenience to the public.
The strike, launched on Sunday (17) by several postal unions including the Postal and Telecommunications Officers’ Union and the United Postal Trade Unions’ Front (UPTUF), continued for seven consecutive days. It severely disrupted postal operations across the country, leaving many post offices unable to function and causing significant hardship to the public.
A special discussion was held yesterday (24th) between union representatives and Minister Jayatissa, leading to the resolution.
