A four-hour strike by employees at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port last night has resulted in an estimated loss of at least Rs. 300 million, a senior official of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said.
He said the strike, which began at 8:00 p.m. yesterday and continued till midnight, was triggered by a controversial decision by the Ports Authority to cut incentive allowances paid to essential employees who worked on April 12 and 13, dates that coincided with the Vesak Poya holidays.
The workers resumed duties at around 12:30 a.m. today after the SLPA administration reissued a letter assuring that overtime allowances will be paid according to the previous system.
At the time the strike began, six cargo ships were anchored at the affected terminals, and all operations were brought to a complete halt, the official said.
The dispute stems from a decision by a senior SLPA official to limit the overtime allowances for work done on the Poya day (April 12) to Rs. 10,000 and the following day (April 13) to Rs. 5,000. This move broke with long-standing practices regarding holiday compensation for essential workers.
The Ports Authority official further alleged that the decisions were taken unilaterally by a senior administrator who has previously been criticised for making media statements regarding workers’ salaries.
The temporary halt in port operations has sparked renewed concerns over the administration’s handling of labour
relations and the broader financial impact of such disruptions on the national economy.
(dailymirror.lk)
