Four- member ministerial committee to resolve railway crisis

• Committee given two weeks to find solutions

By Skandha Gunasekara

In a bid to resolve the ongoing railway sector crisis, President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday appointed a four-member ministerial committee to address the issues of protesting railway employees. 

Transport and Aviation Deputy Minister Ashoka Abeysinge told the Daily FT that President Sirisena appointed the ministerial committee during yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting. 

Accordingly, the four-member ministerial committee is to be headed by Special Assignments Minister Prof. Sarath Amunugama and includes ministers Rajitha Seneratne, Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Minister Akhila Viraj Kariyawasam. 

The committee is tasked with looking into the demands of railway unions as well as to review the MP1 and MP2 salary schemes. It has been given a period of two weeks to come up with solutions to the crisis. 

Minister Abeysinghe said that last Tuesday a joint Cabinet paper was submitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Transport Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva pertaining to the review of salary schemes of railway employees. 

“The joint Cabinet proposal was submitted last week and it was decided that a two-week period would be given for institutes such as the Finance Ministry to make observations on the proposal. Just days after this the railway unions initiated their strike,” Deputy Minister Abeysinghe said. 

He said that the initial demands of the unions had been to cancel a specific exam needed to be taken by railway employees to be employed as engine drivers. 

“We had discussions with the unions at the Presidential Secretariat last week and came to an agreement on their demands concerning the engine drivers examination. Now they are making demands for salaries. We have already submitted a Cabinet proposal in this regard,” he said. 

Some 12 railway trade unions have been engaged in an island-wide strike since last week demanding increases in wages. Yesterday was the sixth day of the strike. 

President Sirisena last week issued a gazette notification declaring railways an essential service. This was in the hope of compelling striking railway employees to report back to work lest they lose their jobs. 

In addition, the Ministry of Transport recalled retired railway workers to provide assistance during the strike period while making it compulsory for all current railway employees to report to work yesterday. 

Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Secretary G.S. Vithanage told the Daily FT that the four-member ministerial committee will meet with all protesting railway unions today at 9.30 a.m.