The Government yesterday (10) announced that new legislation will be introduced to limit the impact of strikes on the public, particularly in essential services such as education, health and transport.
Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, former Rajapaksa loyalist and at present a Minister under Ranil Rajapaksa, Bandula Gunawardena said that the laws are being explored to mitigate the disruption caused by trade union actions in these critical sectors.
“The proposed laws aim to ensure the continuous operation of essential services, safeguarding public interests against the disruptions caused by strikes,” he added.
The move comes as a response to the President’s directive to the Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, to study legal possibilities to prevent State sector workers from conducting strikes that disregard public inconvenience.
The President has also sought advice from the Attorney General on legal provisions available to mitigate the impact of illegal trade union actions, especially when the Government has designated certain services as essential.
The Minister affirmed that the Government, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, is not intimidated by politically motivated and unfair demands from the public sector, especially when the Treasury cannot afford additional expenses.
With the inputs from Daily FT