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Indiscreet strike action

The decision to launch a token strike by some sections of railway employees, yesterday and today, is likely to cause grave concern among the public. The hardest to be hit by this rash decision are, of course, those who depend heavily on public transport to go about their daily chores. Particularly vulnerable to the strike action will be the less affluent and the poor who have no means of private transport. We have already learnt that office workers were badly affected by the strike yesterday.

Coming at a time when the common man is burdened with numerous hardships, including a scorching drought and a lack of electrical power, the precipitate action by the Joint Federation of Railway Workers Trade Unions is bound to compound the suffering of the people. We wonder whether humanitarian considerations matter least to these striking railway unions. Could the lack of concern for the common interest on the part of the strikers also mean that they are intent on destabilising public life?

This line of thinking should be pursued by the authorities to lay bare the roots of this new transport crisis.

What tends to strengthen this destabilisation theory is the disclosure that Transport Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had made decisive moves to resolve the principal grievances of the striking workers. The Minister was quoted as telling the striking unions that he had received Cabinet approval to resolve their main problems and that he had even worked out a time frame to meet their other demands. Why, then, are these workers in a mighty hurry to derail these passenger transport facilities which mean so much to the people? Clearly, a destructive intent is at work.

As far we can ascertain, basic moral considerations are being callously disregarded in this crisis to promote sectional interests. The aim of the striking unions may be to undermine a State service but those who are hurt most by such actions are the less privileged sections of society. What good do such rash acts achieve?

We call on the striking unions to get down to negotiating seriously with the Government on their grievances rather than resort to a destructive course which would only increase the hardships of the people. What should be aimed at in such crises is a win-win solution which would ensure the good of everyone rather than harp on divisions which would further polarise parties to a conflict.

• Editorial of  The Observer - 11.9.2001:
  Hambantota

• Voice of the Sinhala and Tamil Media
  Editorials from Sinhala and Tamil Newspapers
  of 11.9.2001

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