Nationwide Strike Over Staff Shortages Halts Mail Services

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Union of Post & Telecommunication Officers has launched a two-day islandwide strike, beginning at midnight on May 28, in protest over unresolved issues including a critical shortage of staff across the postal service.

President of the Union of Post & Telecommunication Officers, G.G.C. Niroshan, stated that the government has failed to take any meaningful steps to fill long-standing vacancies in the postal department, some of which have remained unaddressed since 2016.

The strike, which will continue until midnight on May 30, affects post offices across the country and is expected to significantly disrupt mail and parcel delivery services.

President of the Union of Post & Telecommunication Officers, G.G.C. Niroshan, emphasised that the shortage of officers is not only affecting internal operations but also the public, who rely on the postal service for essential deliveries. 

“Modern services have been introduced, but the workforce has shrunk to a critically low level. The department is currently operating with a shortage of over 2,000 officers,” he said.

He further explained that key administrative roles—such as second- and third-tier postmasters and deputy postmasters—are being filled internally due to the lack of external recruitment.