The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) unions vowed to continue with their strike as discussions with the government reached a deadlock yesterday.
President of the CPC General Employees Trade Union Asoka Ranwala speaking to the Daily News said they would engage in continuous strike action until their demands are met.
The Unions launched their strike as of 12 midnight on Monday (24) in protest of tendering the Cabinet paper to lease out the Hambantota Port Oil Tank to the China Merchants Ports Holdings Company Ltd. (CMPort).
Cabinet yesterday had approved a new Concessional Agreement between the Chinese company and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority(SLPA).
This will grant CMport 70 percent and the SLPA 30 percent stake in the Hambantota Port. The Agreement is to be put for Parliamentary approval on Friday.
“We will not stand down this time. We want a written assurance that the oil tanks will remain with the CPC”, stressed the union leader referring their earlier strike against an agreement to lease out oil tanks in Trincomalee.
The Unions in the meantime were promised a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena last night to come to a settlement but the meeting was not granted as the unions refused to call off the strike before they met the President,
“The President had asked that we come for discussions once we call off the strike. But we informed the Ministry Secretary that we were not asking for negotiations, we are asking that our demands be met”, said Ranwala.
As the unions refused to back down, the President had promptly informed them that he would not discuss matters with a Union on strike.
Fuel stations around the country in the meantime were jam packed with endless queues of vehicles lining up for a top up before the crisis hits a peak.