Trade Unions have warned of the possibility of a ‘total shutdown’ if the government fails to address its demands before the 15th of March 2023.

High-income earning public servants in higher education, medical, banking, ports and other sectors have threatened to intensify the ongoing trade union action that has been launched against the government’s tax policy.

Media spokesman of the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) Charudaththa Illangasinghe told reporters on Thursday (09) that the government must take a decision n by March 15 or there will be no water or electricity supply and no ships coming in, while universities will remain closed.

Urging the government to introduce a fairer taxation system, Illangasinghe said the trade unions are still open to discussion.

Commenting on the recent trade union protests held in the country, Illangasinghe said, “This is the first switch that we switched off. We will turn a new switch off every day and on the 15th it’ll be time to turn the main switch off.”

He further warned the government not to be caught off guard and claim that people were inconvenienced by the trade union action, and to instead take responsibility for this disruption.

Meanwhile, Chairman Ceylon Blank Employees Union Channa Dissanayake said his union along with four unions from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) are taking part in the campaign.

“Many private banks have also joined. We have come together as a banking system and taken a decision to intensify our trade union actions towards any decision including a strike during the week that starts on March 13,” Dissanayake said. (NewsWire)