Train time table under discussion

by Ananda Kannangara

Senior officials of the Labour Ministry and the Railway Department will hold a special meeting on July 11 (Tuesday) to sort out the current issue on the revised railway timetable that has inconvenienced the private sector employees.

Leaders of several private sector employee unions will also make their representation at the discussion at this meeting scheduled to be at the Labour Secretariat, Narahenpita. It is reported that a large number of private sector workers had blamed the Railway Department for adjusting the time tables without consulting them.

According to the Transport Ministry reports, nearly 200,000 private sector workers daily travel by train.

Labour Ministry sources told the 'Sunday Observer' that the objective of the Tuesday's meeting on a directive of Labour Minister Athauda Senevirtane was to discuss matters pertaining to the complaints by the private sector workers and explore avenues to redress them. He said that there was no other alternative, and the private sector too should fall in line with the new office hours.

Meanwhile General Manager, Railways K. A. Premasiri said the Department had no additional trains to run new journeys for private sector workers at different times. When contacted leading trade unions, they blamed the Transport Ministry for adjusting the train and bus time tables to suit only the new office hours of the public sector.