Sri Lanka announces special increments and commendation certificates for non-striking employees

The Sri Lankan government has approved a proposal by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant a special pay increment to non-executive government officials who reported for duty on July 8 and July 9, 2024, despite widespread strike actions.

This decision, approved by the Cabinet, includes issuing commendation certificates to these employees, which will be considered for future promotions.

The strike was launched by over 200 public sector trade unions affiliated with the State and Provincial Public Service Unions Collective, demanding a Rs. 25,000 allowance for all public sector employees, similar to that given to executive officers.

As a result, many government officials across several sectors did not report to work, causing significant disruptions in daily operations, particularly in the Department of Registration of Persons and the Immigration Department.

Additionally, postal workers began their strike on Sunday (July 7), with the United Postal Trade Unions’ Front co-convener, Chinthaka Bandara, stating that their strike would continue until midnight on July 9.

Teacher-principal trade unions also joined the strike by reporting ‘sick’ on July 9.