Hundreds of thousands of state employees held an island-wide strike and protests on Friday calling for the resignation of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government and opposing shortages and massive price increases. The union front organisation claimed that around half a million participated in the protest.
Employees of the state administration, development officers and health sector workers were among those involved. Demonstrations took place in a number of districts including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Rathnapura, Monaragala, Kandy, Matara, Kurunegala and Colombo.
The strike, following nation-wide anti-government protests, is significant. It indicates that the working class is supporting the struggle to oust the Rajapakse regime.
The protest movement has entered the second week. Workers, housewives, university and school students are holding protests and marches daily in many parts of the country. They are being driven by intolerable social conditions and attacks on democratic rights. Millions are suffering from skyrocketing inflation, shortages of fuel and other basic commodities, and electricity blackouts every day.
Many public sector workers on Friday displayed hand written placards and chanted slogans including: President go home! Let us oust the government! Do not allow racism! Stop increasing prices of goods and scarcity of commodities!
The Friday protest was called by Trade Union Coordinating Centre (TUCC), a collective of four dozen unions. Some unions are controlled by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) while others posture as independent.
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