by Sahan Tennekoon in The Morning, Apr 4, 2023
Convenor of the Collective of All Trade Unions, Ravi Kumudesh yesterday (3) said that a massive protest is to be launched today (4) by the Collective in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station against the new Anti-Terrorism Bill which is to be tabled in the Parliament this month.
He stated this when he was contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the course of action that the unions had decided to take following the meeting held yesterday which was attended by trade unions.
“We have formed a new organisation called the Collective of All Trade Unions. Tomorrow, the new organisation has organised a massive propaganda programme in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station with the participation of all the trade unions. The main purpose of the protest is to force the Government to scrap this repressive Anti-Terrorism Bill. We have asked all the members of the trade unions affiliated with the National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) to join us. We are leading a massive protest movement in the future if the Government does not take action to scrap this Bill,” he claimed.
He also said that the newly established organisation comprises all the trade unions affiliated with the NTUC and the Professionals’ Trade Union Association (PTUA).
“The primary demands of our protests were against the Government’s tax policy, against increasing the electricity tariff and against the privatisation of profit making State owned enterprises. Accordingly, we held a massive strike on 15 March. Now, we have another demand, which is the scrapping of the new Anti-Terrorism Bill. Until the Government takes steps to cancel this arbitrary decision, we are moving forward as we have done in the past,” he noted
The proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill was gazetted last month (March) and is scheduled to be tabled in the Parliament this month amidst the opposition of many parties who claim that this Bill would repress trade unions and restrict freedom of speech.
https://www.themorning.lk/articles/PyNnfqonmEr84vbRZTns
