Today is the biggest Hartal in 69 years !

 

69 years after the massive hartal launched in 1953, the largest hartal campaign and strike in the country has been organized island wide today.

The Trade Union Coordinating Center stated that the hartal campaign and strikes are being carried out to force the incumbent President and the government to leave.

It has been decided to provide state, semi-state and all trade union support for this.

Accordingly, trains and all private buses will be on strike from midnight yesterday.

Convener of the Railway Trade Union Alliance SP Vithanage said that many railway unions will join the hartal.

Meanwhile, three trains scheduled to run from Colombo to Polgahawela, Rambukkana and Aluthgama were canceled last night.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the All Ceylon Private Bus Owners' Association Anjana Priyanjith stated that all private buses will also join the strike.

However, the buses of the Ceylon Transport Board are operating normally, said the Chairman of the Board Kingsley Ranawaka.

The General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers' Service Union Mahinda Jayasinghe said that all employees in the field of education will support the Hartal campaign.

Also, the President of the All Ceylon Inter District School Children's Transport Association Harischandra Padmasiri stated that they have decided to withdraw from school vans today.

Convener of the Ceylon Electricity Board Trade Union Alliance Ranjan Jayalal said that all employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board will join the strike.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers' Association has decided to support today's hartal campaign.

The union said in a statement that it had decided to support the hartal without further embarrassing the affected people.

Meanwhile, the convener of the Central Bank Trade Union Confederation Sarath Ekanayake stated that he will support the hartal campaign being held today.

Also, the Department of Immigration and Emigration and the Department of Registration of Persons said that due to the active hartal campaign in the country, there will be no office activities today.

The department says that public services, including the one-day service of issuing passports and national identity cards, are not functioning today.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Administrative Services Union said that the trade unions could not come to the action in a manner that would interfere with the activities of the affected people.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration Officers' Association has decided to withdraw from duty at the VIP terminals of the airport from today.