August 24, Colombo (LNW): A crucial meeting is set to take place today (24) between striking postal workers and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, as the nationwide postal strike enters its seventh day.
The discussion, scheduled for 9:00 a.m., will bring together representatives from all trade unions currently participating in the industrial action.
The strike, launched on Sunday (17), has been led by several key unions, including the Postal and Telecommunications Officers’ Union and the United Postal Trade Unions’ Front (UPTUF). Workers are demanding the resolution of 19 longstanding issues, which they claim have been ignored by authorities for far too long.
The ongoing action has brought postal operations across the island to a near halt, severely disrupting services in most areas. Long queues and frustrated citizens have become a common sight outside post offices, as the suspension of mail delivery and other essential postal services continues to affect thousands.
Chinthaka Bandara, co-convener of the UPTUF, confirmed that union representatives are willing to engage in dialogue with Minister Jayatissa. “We are prepared to discuss our demands in good faith,” Bandara said. “The ball is now in the government’s court to offer a serious response.”
In a potentially significant development, Jagath Mahinda, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Postal Services Association, claimed that a considerable number of employees who had joined the strike have since returned to work. He expressed optimism that postal services could return to normal as early as tomorrow, should discussions proceed positively.
