News
Strike ends, but unions vow to intensify action to win their demands
Many trade unions staged a one-day general strike yesterday, demanding that taxes, tariffs and interest rates be reduced. The organisers of the strike said they would intensify their trade union action unless the government heeded their demands.
More than 40 trade unions, in several sectors, joined the strike, organised by the trade unions of professionals. Many other state and semi-state trade unions also supported the strike.
The Trade Unions Collective, which organised yesterday’s strike, said it had been compelled to resort to strike action as there was no favourable response from the government to its demands.
Due to the strike, services such as health, posts, and railways were affected. Workers in other sectors ,including education, port, power, water supply, petroleum, road development, and banking services, also joined the strike.
Private bus operators and several trade unions announced that they would not join the strike.
Members of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) joined the nationwide strike that started from 8 am yesterday but the Government Medical Officers’ Forum said its members would not join the strike.
Nearly 40,000 nurses also participated in yesterday’s strike.
The Joint Force of Paramedic Professionals said that the strike would become a continuous struggle if the police and the army were deployed crush the strike.
General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Service Association Mahinda Jayasinghe said that teachers and principals unions had struck work yesterday.
The non-academic staff of the universities are on strike today in support of the ongoing strike of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association.
General Secretary of the Port Union Progressive Employees’ Union Shyamal Sumanaratne said that all trade unions of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority had struck work yesterday.
All trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board reported sick yesterday. Only power plants and essential services continued to operate as normal, General Secretary of the Ceylon Electricity Workers’ Union Ranjan Jayalal said.
President of the Sri Lanka Air Traffic Controllers Association Thisara Amarananda said that air traffic controllers carried out a work-to-rule protest from 12.00 noon to 02.00 pm in support of the strike.
The Professionals Trade Union Collective announced that they would call off their strike action at 8 am today (16).
The banking sector saw the Ceylon Bank Employee Union (CBEU) and the Central Bank’s Trade Union Alliance are on strike. However, the President’s Media Division said several hundred branches of the Bank of Ceylon and the People’s Bank were operational.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
