Postal trade unions announced today that they have agreed to call off their six-day strike, following discussions with the government. Services were resume at 4 PM, Minister of Mass Media and Postal Services Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed.
The Minister said the breakthrough came after unions consented to two key government demands: the introduction of fingerprint attendance systems and the continuation of the existing overtime allowance framework. Minister Jayatissa described the strike as based on “very unreasonable demands,” stressing that while the government had refused to compromise on the two main issues, it had expressed willingness to address 17 other pending matters concerning the postal service.
As part of the settlement, fingerprint scanning will be introduced for both control and operational staff at the Central Post Exchange, with new machines already installed and staff registration set to begin shortly. The government’s overtime allowance structure, proposed in March, will remain unchanged and be implemented as planned. In response to the unions’ agreement to immediately resume duties and accept these conditions, the government has suspended actions relating to the stoppage of salaries and leave matters. Unions provided written consent to these terms yesterday.
Minister Jayatissa acknowledged the considerable financial losses and delivery delays caused by the strike, which paralysed operations for nearly a week. He placed responsibility squarely on the strikers, blaming their “unreasonable demands” for the disruption that left a backlog of letters and parcels. He urged postal workers to clear the accumulated mail swiftly, stressing the need to meet the expectations of both local and international customers and restore the postal service to normalcy without delay.
The Minister also noted the strong public response against the strike, calling it unprecedented and an important factor that enabled the government to maintain its position. Looking ahead, discussions are continuing between the Ministry of Public Administration and union representatives on the 17 remaining demands, which include reforms to the service constitution, modernisation of duties, and vehicle-related issues. Minister Jayatissa assured that these would be addressed within the next month as part of broader efforts to strengthen and transform the postal service into a profitable institution.
