Multiple protests staged in Colombo by trade unions

COLOMBO (News1st): Several protests were held in Colombo today with various demands including permanent appointments for development officers. The protest demanding permanent appointments for development officers who were recruited in 2019 was staged by the Workers' Struggle Centre. The protestors commenced the demonstration from Town Hall and marched towards the Ministry of Finance. Ten protestors were then allowed to enter the Finance Ministry premises and hold discussions with its deputy secretary. "None of them took any responsibility for the requests we made. Thereafter we told them if this way will not work, we will resort to another option," Duminda Nagamuwa, a politburo member of the Frontline Socialist Party said. Meanwhile, Ceylon Electricity Board Technological Engineers and Superintendents Unions staged a protest opposite the CEB today citing that the actions taken by the management of the CEB are illegitimate and ad hoc. "The management has abandoned 30,000 employees and carrying out the recruitment and the promotion process according to their own whims and fancies," a protestor noted. The protestor insisted that a Presidential Commission must be appointed to reveal all discrepancies and illegitimate activities at the CEB. The Ceylon Bank Employees Union carried out a protest in Colpetty demanding to reduce the contract period of trainees to two years and to provide the pension to retired bank officials. The protestors complained that the bank has been extending the training period of new recruits and, as a result, exploiting their labour.