Train strike over -- Discussion with president, productive

Train strike over -- Discussion with president, productive

After a discussion with president, railway trade unions have said that they have decided to end  the strike which extended to several days. The said discussion was held at Fort president's house between president and trade union representatives. 

This strike based on salary anomalies commenced by train drivers, station masters and guards thus
came to a close after a period of 12 days. Even today the strike was active and railway department said that only about 28 morning office trains were active. What general manager Dilantha Fernando said was that after the train service was declared an essential service, employees who reported to work were somewhat intimidated by the strikers. 

In the same way the loss incurred as a result of the strike has still not been ascertained, he said. In the meantime, the election commission yesterday issued a notice to railway strikers engaging in the strike as well as state employees, those of corporations, boards, banks and semi-government to refrain from strikes during the presidential election period. Whatever it is, railway employees engaged in the strike have had a meeting with a group of representatives of election commission. Subsequently there were news that they had pledged to bring their trade union activity to a halt. That association has still not revealed what promises were made by president to bring the strike to a close. 

In the meantime, acting minister of transport Mr. Ashok Abeysingha has said that 30 army soldiers would be sent to India as train drivers, guards and station masters to be trained there.