Special task force to combat trade union action – President

May 04, 2017

President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the Cabinet of ministers that he wanted to take steps to form a special task force to face trade union action.

The President has stressed that the purpose of the task force was not to supress trade union activity but to ensure that essential services were not disrupted and that the public no longer be inconvenienced by such actions.

He has also added that after discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was decided that this was a necessary move to ensure that essential services continued to be provided and that it was not about protecting the UNP or the SLFP but ensuring the smooth functioning of the present national government.

The President has further expressed his displeasure with the way certain minister had publicly criticised the joint Cabinet decision made at the previous meeting regarding the possible creation of the task force. The President has advised the ministers that any reservations they had regarding the task force can be discussed at the Cabinet meeting itself.

The President has said that no one had the right to inconvenience the public by disrupting essential services. He has added that creating the task force was to ensure continuity of essential services and not for the purpose of bestowing a designation on any individual.

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