Government officers involved in disaster relief say they will stop relief work and begin trade union action from Friday, February 27.
The move was announced in a joint statement by the All Ceylon Disaster Relief Services Trade Union, the Technical Officers’ Trade Union, and several Grama Niladhari (GN) officers’ unions.
Reasons for the protest
- The unions say 93 days have passed since Cyclone Ditwah, during which disaster relief officers and GN officers have worked around the clock, coordinating between the government and affected families.
- Technical officers have been carrying out field assessments and preparing estimates needed for compensation and relief payments.
Their main complaint
Despite this workload, the unions say the government has not addressed long‑standing issues faced by officers involved in disaster response. They argue that the lack of action has left them with no choice but to launch a collective trade union campaign.