Disaster Relief Officers halt duties from today over unmet demands

Grama Niladharis, Disaster Relief Service Officers, and Technical Officers have decided to stop their relief work related to Cyclone Ditwah starting today, the 27th, due to several unresolved issues. They are worried about the lack of a clear circular for relief assessment and the failure to pay promised allowances. Upul Kumara, the Chairman of the All Island Disaster Relief Services Officials’ Union, mentioned that there is no proper system for providing relief for Cyclone Ditwah yet. He explained that the Grama Niladhari Trade Unions from across Sri Lanka, which handle the distribution of relief, and the Technical Officers’ Trade Union Alliance, which prepares damage assessments from the disaster, had talked about continuing their relief efforts. However, he noted that even after 95 days since the disaster, the government has not taken the necessary steps to ensure proper relief delivery. This led to a collective decision to take action as a trade union. Upul Kumara added that they have already discussed their concerns with the relevant secretaries and submitted their demands formally. “We are informing the President that we no longer want to talk with the secretaries. We have already discussed and presented our demands. Thus, this trade union action is being taken,” he stated. He further highlighted that all Grama Niladharis, Disaster Relief Service Officers, and Technical Officers involved in disaster relief will stop their duties related to Ditwah until their demands are met, which include proper instructions and payment of allowances.