News

Station master’s strike: Irate railway commuters take it out on trains

Published

4 years ago

2022/01/14

By Saman Indrajith and Cyril Wimalasurendre

Angry passengers attacked several trains, when they were cancelled due to the ongoing station masters’ trade union action. General Manager – Railways said that over 200 scheduled trips had been cancelled as a result. The strike, which commenced on midnight Wednesday was schedule to end at midnight yesterday.

Passengers attacked the Batticaloa bound train from Colombo on Wednesday midnight after the train stopped at the Kekirawa Station.

The passengers travelling to Badulla from Colombo were stranded at the Kandy railway station on Wednesday 12 midnight as the night train was halted at the Kandy railway station due to strike by the Station Masters. The stranded train passengers demanded a solution to their issue and damaged the guard post at the railway station. Some of the passengers were returning home after working in Colombo. Kandy police sent a team to the railway station to maintain peace and deployed several buses to send the passengers home.

Passengers who had booked long distance trains too were inconvenienced yesterday as all long distance trains were cancelled. Several railway stations had taken steps to reimburse passengers who had bought tickets.

Several office trains and all long-distance trains were canceled yesterday following the strike launched by station masters. The General Manager of Railways said that they were trying to operate around 80 office trains.

The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union launched a 24-hour token strike effective from midnight Wednesday (12).

The union was expressing anger at several recent developments including the practice of canceling long-distance trains without prior notice, the chairman of the union Sumedha Somarathna said. In recent weeks a number of long distance trains had been canceled a few hours before their scheduled departure time. By that time seats were reserved and angry passengers had vent their frustrations upon the station masters, Somarathna said.

“We feel that this is a deliberate move by the senior management. What purpose this would serve is beyond our conjecture,” he said.

All News Advertisement

News

Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) donates LKR 25 million to the “Rebuilding Sri Lanka” Fund

Published

46 mins ago

2026/01/24

Priyan

The Colombo Stock Exchange (GL 12) has contributed LKR 25 million to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund.

The cheque was handed over to the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake by the Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Dimuthu Abeyesekera, the Chief Executive Officer Rajeeva Bandaranaike and Senior Vice Chairman Kusal Nissanka at the Presidential Secretariat.

News

Karu argues against scrapping MPs’ pension as many less fortunate members entered Parliament after ’56

Published

9 hours ago

2026/01/24

Thilina Walpola

Karu Jayasuriya

Former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressing concerns over the proposed abolition of MPs’ pensions.The letter was sent in his capacity as Patron of the Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.

In his letter, Jayasuriya noted that at the time of Sri Lanka’s independence, political participation was largely limited to an educated, affluent land-owning elite. However, he said a significant social transformation took place after 1956, enabling ordinary citizens to enter politics.

He warned that under current conditions, removing parliamentary pensions would effectively confine politics to the wealthy, business interests, individuals engaged in illicit income-generating activities, and well-funded political parties. Such a move, he said, would discourage honest social workers and individuals of modest means from entering public life.

Jayasuriya also pointed out that while a small number of former MPs, including himself, use their pensions for social and charitable purposes, the majority rely on the pension as a primary source of income.

He urged the President to give due consideration to the matter and take appropriate action, particularly as the government prepares to draft a new constitution.The Bill seeking to abolish pensions for Members of Parliament was presented to Parliament on 07 January by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara.

News

Johnston, two sons and two others further remanded over alleged misuse of vehicle

Published

9 hours ago

2026/01/24

Thilina Walpola

Former Minister Johnston Fernando and others being escorted out of the Wattala Magistrate Court premises yesterday

Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The former Minister’s , sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister.

Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, including a lorry belonging to Lanka Sathosa, which reportedly caused a significant financial loss to the state.

In connection with the same incident, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as the Transport Manager of Sathosa during

Fernando’s tenure as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, was arrested on 04 January.

After being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court, he was ordered to be remanded in custody until 09 January.The former Sathosa Transport Manager was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.