News

A massive picket line was held in front of People’s Bank Head Quarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 30th August 2017. Ceylon Bank Employees Union [CBEU] organized the picket calling the management of state owned People’s Bank to respect trade union rights in the bank.

People’s Bank management has unilaterally discontinued the various structures in place to redress employee’s grievances through trade unions representations. 

CBEU reports that People’s Bank management has discontinued the practices of allowing democratically elected trade union leaders to carry out trade union functions as per the trade union law in Sri Lanka.

Members in the CBEU Peoples Bank branch have elected a new leadership during the recent union elections held on 14th July 2017, Shantha Gangabadage, President of CBEU People’s Bank branch said that the employees of the bank elected a new leadership for the branch union with a huge majority, and the bank management has so far not given them an opportunity to meet and discuss the issues faced by their members. Similarly, the management has failed to seek the support of the employees to overcome challenges faced by the bank to improve customer services its business potentials.

T G W Gunawardena President of CBEU addressed the picket rally, and said the People’s Bank management should respect trade union rights as provided in the law, and restores the unilaterally withdrawn privileges extended to the trade union leaders as practiced over the years and extended to other trade unions in state owned banks in Sri Lanka. Gunawardena stressed that People’s bank management continues with adamancy CBEU is ready to mobilize its membership in extending solidarity to their colleagues in People’s Bank.  

CBEU is an affiliate of UNI Global Union from Sri Lanka.