Rally, Demonstration and Public Meeting@Kalmunai - Ampara
We
wear red color dress when participating in May Day events. It is the blood
spilled by Chicago workers in 1886s than has made 8 hour work a reality to
workers to day. It is the memory of the blood they shed that we wear red dress,
said the human right activist, Director of HDO and General Secretary of WSU Mr.
P.P. Sivapragasam addressing the mammoth gathering of the joint May Day – 2015
at Kalmunai, Ampara District of Eastern
Province.
It
is the first occasion of 13 unions/organizations
from different sections joining to hold May Day meeting and rally in the
Kalmunai town – facilitated by Human Development Organization (HDO).
The
‘International Workers Day’ emphasizing the rights of workers with the rally
starting in the Kalmunai CTB Depot road at 9.00 am on 1st May 2015,
reached Christa Hall, Kalmunai.
Around
700 women and men participated in the rally and public meeting. Representations
of unions and organizations bearing placards and banners –voicing slogans, had
joined the rally. The public meeting was facilitated by HDO Eastern Province
Co-ordinator Mr. P. Srikanth. He staid
than traditionally the May Day demands related to worker rights. He also staid
this in a worker Day.
The May day was jointly
organized by following unions/organizations:
01. Workers’ Solidarity Union. (WSU)
02.
Women Solidarity Front. (WSF)
03.
Fisheries Network Front.
04.
Preschool Teachers’ Network.
05.
Agricultural Workers’ Societies.
06.
Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union.
07.
Sri Lanka Islamic Teachers’ Union.
08.
Eastern Media Forum.
09.
Amparai District Tamil Media Forum.
10.
Amparai District Tamil Media Federation.
11.
“Velvi “Women Development Forum.
12.
Youth Clubs.
13.
Language Rights Societies.
Demands
of Unions:
1.
Take steps to ban illegal fishing that
affects the livelihood of fishermen.
2.
Make arrangements to stop sea erosion,
to remove the debris from the sea bed and to grant permission for the number of
turns for catches of fish.
3.
Speedy up action to offer fishing
accessories instead of fuel subside.
4.
Land and housing rights of the
plantation community should be ensured.
5.
Determine plantation workers wages
through budget.
6.
Speedy up actions to provide/release
social security funds (Employee Provident Fund, Employee Trust Funs and Gratuity)
of the plantation workers (JEDB, SLSPC & Elkaduwa Plantation).
7.
Absorb Pre-School teachers in to
Provincial Council system, make them monthly paid.
8.
Enact
anti-dowry laws.
9.
Ensure that the micro credit facilities to
women workers for the economic development are channeled through registered
societies.
10.
Make educational development assistance
to women headed family children mandatory.
11.
Create self-employment opportunities for
women with in the country to deter them from
migrating abroad for employment.
12.
Government to take necessary action to
sustain and maintain a teacher service and their rights and dignity free of
political interference.
13.
Ensure immediate payment of teachers
salary arrears.
14.
Enact policies and laws to safeguard all
round interest of agricultural and other non-formal sector workers and
particularly women workers.
15.
Ensure safeguards to the rights and
interests of media personnel / Journalists and right to publish and receive
information.
16.
Implement a pension scheme for media
persons , in their economic interests.
17.
The government to formulate and publish
a ‘Workers Charter’ containing the worker rights and interest and to create a
mechanism to implement such charter.
For
the first time in the history May Day was commemorated in the city of Kalmunai,
Ampara District of the Eastern Province on 1st May 2015. This event
had then jointly organized by 13 unions/organizations including WSU and
Fishermen’s Unions under the aegis and facilitation of HDO. It is noteworthy
that they for most of the participants this was the first occasion.
The
following activists/leaders also addressed in the May Day Public meeting;
Fisheries Union Federation leader Mr. Kabeer,
South Eastern University Senior Lecturer Dr. Anusia, Teachers Union Ref. Mr. T. Sagadevaraja, Pre
School Teachers Network leader Ms. Najumunisa, Media Forum Ref. Mr. Muza and
Workers Solidarity Union Ref. Mr. S. Jeyapal.
The
restoration of good governance, democracy and freedom of people by the new
government that came to power on January 2015 has become most welcome for the
people. However, although the May Day – 2015 was commemoration in this
background, sadly, various incidents which were a deliberate interference with
the freedom of organizes and participation marred the environment. Security
persons in civil dress were present processions, meetings and points of
organizations.
They questioned participants, organizers and other why on what basic and how they were conducting the May Day.
They had asked the speakers for their personal particulars and to give in writing the details of activities. However, the organizers refuse to give written information and undeterred by such interruptions conducted the processions and meetings which ended at 1.00 p.m
They questioned participants, organizers and other why on what basic and how they were conducting the May Day.
They had asked the speakers for their personal particulars and to give in writing the details of activities. However, the organizers refuse to give written information and undeterred by such interruptions conducted the processions and meetings which ended at 1.00 p.m
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