Rail strike ends tonight amid Rs.60m loss; unions warn of fresh action
– The two-day railway strike is scheduled to end at midnight today, but railway trade unions warned that they could launch further industrial action if their grievances remain unresolved, claiming the strike has already caused losses exceeding Rs.60 million.The Railway Station Masters’ Association and other unions told a press conference that there was still no satisfactory solution to their demands, despite the disruption caused to railway services across the country.
They said only around 90 train services were scheduled to operate today, with several of them already cancelled, including six services on the Upcountry route and a number of regional trains. The unions estimated that the Railway Department had incurred more than Rs.40 million in losses during the two-day strike, while the overall loss was said to have exceeded Rs.60 million.
They claimed that only two of Sri Lanka’s 196 railway stations—Veyangoda and Ragama—had issued tickets during the strike, despite efforts by the authorities to maintain services. According to the unions, ticket issuing, parcel transportation and seat reservation services were not carried out at the remaining railway stations.The unions said their demand for the removal of the Railway General Manager was linked to the daily cancellation of train services and the failure to provide lasting solutions to technical problems affecting railway operations.
They said railway authorities had been working continuously for the past 48 hours to maintain train operations, adding that the General Manager had now become directly involved in addressing the situation.“If work is carried out like this every day, the railway service can function properly,” they said. Ejecting allegations that the strike was politically motivated, the unions said they would not be deterred by criticism from trade unions supporting the Government.
“As rank-and-file trade unions, we will continue to fight to protect the rights of our members and the future of the Sri Lanka Railways Department and the railway service,” they said.The unions stressed that their objective was not to halt the railway service but to safeguard and strengthen the state-owned railway system.“Our aim is not to stop the railway service, but to preserve it and ensure a strong and efficient state railway service,” they said.They said they would respond to criticism through their actions rather than words.The unions also highlighted the decline in railway operations, saying the Department operated 256 train journeys a day in 2022, compared with only 189 daily journeys at present.