Business

The Locomotive Operating Engineers Union has decided to cancel the strike that was set to begin at midnight today, the 17th. Dimuthu Edirisinghe, the Union's Secretary, explained that the strike was called off after the government announced a temporary halt to its plan of training Sri Lanka Army officers to become train drivers. This strike was initiated as a response to the decision to train military officers during a meeting for new trainee train drivers. The locomotive operators were against including these military officers in the training program. In a related statement, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Kumara Gunasena mentioned that the plan to train 20 Army officers as train drivers has been paused. This decision was made to consider the ongoing strike by train drivers, which could affect transportation for students taking the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination. The Deputy Minister also expressed concern about the trade union action, highlighting that the Sri Lanka Army had provided crucial support to the Railway Department and Transport Ministry during the recent Cyclone Ditwah crisis. He noted that Army engineers helped repair railway tracks, restore train engines in Ratmalana over the last two months, and set up bailey bridges, showing their significant role in maintaining transport infrastructure during the emergency. Gunasena pointed out that the Ministry's choice to train the 20 Army personnel was based on the need for a skilled team during emergencies. However, with almost 450,000 students preparing for the Ordinary Level examination, he underscored that it would be unacceptable for even one student to face transport issues due to union actions.