Post and Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs Minister M.H.A. Haleem said the Salaries Commission had already accepted postal worker demands.
He said there was no justifiable reason to drag trade union action further since necessary action had been taken to address their grievances. The Minister was addressing the media yesterday at the Postal Ministry.
Several Postal Department Trade Unions have been boycotting duty demanding the Government to settle several issues since June 11. The issues were created by the 6/2006 circular. One such issue is cancellation of "Class 3" category from the postal service, the Minister said. The Postal Ministry had submitted a Cabinet paper in this regard and the issue is being looked into by a Cabinet Sub Committee now. The Salaries Commission has agreed to accept a separate salary scale for Postal workers.
Ministry Secretary R.M.D.B. Meegasmulla said the strike is not reasonable but they have several justifiable reasons that has been accepted for adoption. "A Cabinet paper was submitted and evaluated by a Cabinet Sub Committee chaired by Minister Sarath Amunugama.
"The Sub Committee received the Cabinet paper on June 11 and said they need two weeks to resolve the issues. However, the Trade Unions opted for trade union action on June 11 itself without giving time for the Committee to look into the matter. The Secretary said the trade union action cannot be accepted. The unions should have given enough time to the Committee to look into the issues," he said.
He added that he was instructed to prepare a separate salary scale for postal workers with the participation of postal trade unions. But the representative of trade unions are refraining from assisting in preparation of new salary scales for postal service.
Postmaster General Rohana Abeyaratne said every possible measure to bring the service to normal will be taken.
He accepted that there is an issue with the postal service created by the 6/2006 circular. The circular has resulted in keeping a postal service employee at the same post for 40 years before they are promoted to the next position.Therefore, the demand to cancel Class 3 is justifiable, he said. But the trade union action is not justifiable as every possible measure has already been taken to address the issue.
He said the trade union action has caused an immense loss to the Postal Service. Transactions valued around Rs.159 million happen daily. Meegasmulla said the Postal Service incurred an irreparable loss especially to its Airmail and Speed Post Courier Service due to the Trade Union action.
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