Custom officers call off trade union action

Sri Lanka Customs trade unions have decided to call off their trade union action following discussions with the State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

The trade unions including the Customs Officers’ Union had decided to engage in trade union action by reporting ‘sick leave’ today (4) and tomorrow (5), in protest over the lack of a satisfactory response to their demands from the authorities. 

A spokesman for the union had said that the union’s members engaged in this trade union action to protest against the authorities’ arbitrary decision to introduce the Sri Lanka Revenue Authority (SLRA) Bill and make amendments to various sections of the Customs Ordinance.

He added that customs officials have been engaging in a “work-to-rule” trade union action for the past two days because discussions with authorities on several occasions did not provide any necessary solutions to their demands.