Postal Strike Ends! 2.5 Mn Parcels Set to Be Delivered

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Joint Postal Trade Union Alliance has officially called off its strike, and postal deliveries have resumed across the country starting from midnight.

Chinthaka Bandara, the convener of the alliance, said that the decision came after a late-night discussion with the Minister in charge, where both sides reached a temporary agreement.

As a result, all postal operations are back in action today, and efforts are underway to quickly clear the backlog of mail.

The strike, which had halted services for days, led to:

Over 2.5 million postal items piling up at offices islandwide

An estimated loss of over Rs. 150 million.

Bandara added that delayed parcels will be delivered as fast as possible, and the Postmaster General was instructed by the minister to resolve 17 key issues raised by the unions. 

Special committees have been appointed to propose solutions within a month.

The unions agreed to use fingerprint systems and accepted the government’s stance on overtime allowances, which helped pave the way for ending the strike.

Bandara also noted that if future negotiations don’t lead to lasting solutions, further trade union action may be considered.