PTUC warns of drastic TU action

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Professionals’ Trade Union Collective (PTUC) on Wednesday (20) warned the government that drastic trade union action would be taken unless it kept its promises with regard to personal tax regime imposed on professionals.

Dr. Haritha Aluthge, General Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) told the media that they had handed over a letter to the IMF office in Colombo.

“We wrote to the IMF delegation directly because we don’t trust the government. We want the government to tell us what they want to do with the personal tax regime before the IMF delegation leaves the country on 26 September,” he said.

Dr. Aluthge said that when professionals complained about the high taxes earlier this year, the government had promised to amend the taxes during the first IMF review. The IMF delegation had arrived in the country and the discussions were on, but the government had not said anything about tax reductions.