Grama Niladharis announce trade union action from June 30

Grama Niladhari trade unions have announced islandwide trade union action from June 30, warning that officers may be forced to withdraw from dengue control duties if their long-standing demands remain unresolved. National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Grama Niladhari National Association, Buddhika Rangana, said officials representing all Grama Niladhari unions and Disaster Management officers’ unions had decided to launch the trade union action over several unresolved issues. He said the unions had yet to receive a satisfactory response from the Government regarding their demands, including the provision of an adequate fuel allowance to cover official travel expenses. Rangana warned that the industrial action comes at a time when dengue remains a major concern, with red notices issued for 538 Grama Niladhari divisions identified as high-risk areas. “If this trade union action goes ahead on June 30, we will unfortunately have to withdraw even from dengue control duties,” he said. The unions also urged authorities to urgently address issues relating to allowances and facilities required by Grama Niladharis to carry out their official duties. (Newswire)