May 29, Colombo (LNW): Labour unrest has intensified across key public sectors as employees within Sri Lanka’s civil aviation and postal services have initiated protest actions over longstanding grievances, primarily relating to overtime pay and working conditions.
From midnight yesterday (28), the Association of Civil Aviation Employees officially commenced industrial action, withdrawing all voluntary overtime contributions.
The decision, they claim, stems from continued delays and irregularities in resolving their concerns over overtime compensation and related entitlements.
The union has made it clear that this action will persist indefinitely unless a satisfactory resolution is reached by the relevant authorities.
The move is expected to strain operations at airports, particularly in areas related to ground handling, maintenance and administrative support—sectors which rely heavily on extended staff hours to maintain round-the-clock services.
Aviation officials have warned of possible disruptions, urging passengers to monitor updates and plan accordingly.
Simultaneously, unrest has also erupted within the postal and telecommunications sector. The Union of Post and Telecommunication Officers, which began a 48-hour island-wide strike on Tuesday afternoon, is taking further steps to escalate their campaign.
Union members gathered outside the main postal headquarters in Colombo this (29) morning for a demonstration, after which they plan to proceed on foot to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media to deliver a formal memorandum outlining their demands.
The union’s list of grievances reportedly includes fifteen key points, covering matters such as salary anomalies, promotional bottlenecks, workplace safety, and deteriorating service conditions in rural post offices. According to organisers, these concerns have been raised repeatedly with successive administrations but remain largely unaddressed.
