Postal workers on strike over N'Eliya Post Office

Colombo (News 1st): Postal workers on Sri Lanka launched a token strike against attempts being made to award the Nuwara Eliya post office building for a hotel development project.

Convener of the Lanka Postal Services Union Postal workers, Chinathaka Bandara, says the union went on strike at midnight yesterday to protest the planned sale of the post office buildings in Nuwara Eliya and Kandy.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Post announced that all postal workers will be denied leave for three days, starting today.

In a statement, Postmaster General R. P. Sathkumara says that he had discussed the strike with the Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media, Bandula Gunawardana Ministry Secretary Anusha Palpita.

The postmaster general says that Post Office will remain open to serve the public.

He also pointed out that consent was given to President's Secretary to hand over the Nuwara Eliya Post Office building to the Urban Development Authority in accordance with the government's policy of creating favorable investment opportunities.

The Postmaster General says that such trade union actions would disrupt postal operations at a time when the department is working to minimise losses. 

He therefore urged postal workers to withdraw from the proposed strike and report to work as usual.