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| Sunday, 22 February 2004 |
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TUs call for joint action by P. Krishnaswamy The Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers' Union (CMU) and the Ceylon Bank Employees' Union have invited other trade unions in both private and public sectors for a meeting at the CMU headquarters tomorrow (23) for consultations on joint action to protest "the prevailing situation under which millions of working people, including hundreds of thousands of workers belonging to trade unions, are undergoing increasingly severe hardships due to the uncontrolled and ever-rising cost of living". In a circular sent to the TUs, the leaders of the two unions Bala Tampoe and M.R. Shah state that "a small minority of the population is living in luxury - private mansions and residential towers and luxury vehicles". This situation has developed in the country in the context of globalisation of the capitalist economy and the submission of successive governments to the dictates of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the circular states. The two unions state that the serious damage caused to the country's economy by the disastrous war in the North and East has also had adverse effects on living standards and that these continue despite the ceasefire agreement between the Government and the LTTE. "The political deadlock between the President and the Prime Minister, with regard to the control of Armed Forces, manifests their inability to share State power under the present Constitution. They are thus unable to negotiate jointly with the LTTE for a constitutional settlement on the administration of the North-East", the circular adds. The unions expressed confidence that whatever government takes office after the April 2 General Election, even international financial institutions would have to pay heed to the voice of the organised working class. |
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