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by Chamikara Weerasinghe

The postal service is yet to return to normal, despite the postal trade unions calling off their country-wide protest on May 6. The unions initially planned to continue with their trade union action until their demands were met, but decided to call it off until the end of this month (May) on account of the Vesak 'postal rush'.

However, the Postal Trade Union Front, comprising nine postal and telecommunication unions, has warned that they would resume the strike after the Vesak 'rush' is over. The Front had initiated the strike to protest against the failure of the Ministry of Mass Communication to fulfil a 12-pronged demand, including a rectification of salary anomalies, revision of promotions, and better working conditions.Official sources at the Department of Posts said that workers at most post offices have not turned up for work following the strike.

Official trade union sources confirmed that they had decided to temporarily stay all their trade union action on account of the Vesak season.

The convenor of the Postal Trade Union Front and the treasurer of Sri Lanka Post and Telecommunication Services Union, Vivekanandalingam said that the Postal Front did not want to disrupt postal deliveries at this juncture, because it would tarnish the Postal Department's good name and affect its revenue.

However, according to sources at the Ministry of Mass Communication and Postal Department, millions of Vesak cards and other mail have piled up at post offices in most parts of the country waiting to be delivered to the recipients.

Vivekanandalingam admitted that postal deliveries had been held up due to the strike, but assured that the situation would return to normal soon.He categorically said that the decision by the postal trade unions to call off the strike temporarily was unanimous, and was not over the outcome of discussions they had with the secretary of the Mass Communication Ministry, or the Post Master General.

"Our discussions with them have ended up in a stalemate without any tangible results to our demands," he added.

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