The Sri Lanka Railways has been declared an Essential Public Service, stated the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
A Gazette Extraordinary was issued by the Presidential Secretariat with this regard, earlier today (27).
After railway service is made an essential service, action could be taken against railway employees who go on strike under the emergency law, according to State Minister of Transport Ashok Abeysinghe.
Railway trade unions had launched a two-day strike action last week over wage discrepancies, crippling nearly all train services across the island. After ending the token strike, trade unions warned that they would resort to strike action on every Friday until a solution is provided for their issues.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation announced that a decision was taken to recruit retired engine drivers, station masters, railway guards, and other officials.
