Last week residents of Meethotamulla, a low-income working-class area, vehemently denounced successive governments, angrily explaining how they were attempting to deal with the social disaster they now confronted.
On the same day Jeevan Thondaman became a member of cabinet, the Ceylon Workers Congress announced a local electoral seat-sharing pact in the Wickremesinghe’s United National Party.
The SEP is the only party in Sri Lanka that fights for the unified mobilisation of the working class on an international socialist perspective and against the communal divisions whipped up by the ruling elites.
Eight Sri Lankan plantation workers arrested in company-police attack
Eight striking workers from the Alton tea estate in the Up-Cot, Masekeliya area of central Sri Lanka were arrested and jailed by police on February 17.
The arrests are a part of a joint company-police operation aimed at breaking an indefinite strike by about 500 Alton workers who walked out on February 3 to demand a 1,000-rupee ($US5.19) basic daily wage.
Line room accommodation at Alton Estate (WSWS Media)
The Alton estate strikers are now demanding the immediate release of the eight workers S. Puwanesary, Kanapathy Devi, G. Shatheeswary, Francis Thiresammal, Marimuthu Thamilselvi, Yohasakthi, M.K.Shaneethuni and Aandimuthu Visvakethu.