A union strike launched by railway employees has stopped trains across Sri Lanka.
Police officers patrol in a railway station during a railway union strike in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers to brave the few dangerously overcrowded trains that kept running or be stranded at the station.
The Station Masters’ Union launched the strike to demand that vacancies be filled and other administrative issues be resolved.Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were canceled Wednesday due to the strike, leaving the very few trains that ran jam-packed with passengers. Local TV stations showed people risking their lives to get to school and work, barely hanging on to the sides of the train while balancing on footboards made slippery by the rain.
Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena condemned the strike, saying the union launched the strike in an arbitrary manner when the government was taking steps to resolve the issues they raised., two passengers were killed while traveling on packed trains: One was traveling on the roof of a compartment when his head hit an overhead railway bridge, and the other succumbed to injuries after he fell from the train’s footboard.
Sri Lanka’s train services are substandard, with poorly maintained compartments and tracks because of years of. Frequent and sudden strikes have exacerbated the situation, with most trains experiencing delays. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A railway union strike in Sri Lanka leaves tens of thousands of commuters strandedA union strike launched by railway employees has stopped trains across Sri Lanka. Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were canceled Wednesday due to the strike. Now tens of thousands of passengers are stranded at railroad stations.
Read more »
Sri Lanka reaches deal on debt restructuring with bilateral creditors including China and FranceSri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a debt restructuring deal with its various creditors Wednesday, marking progress in its economic recovery.
Read more »
Sri Lanka reaches deal on debt restructuring with bilateral creditors including China and FranceSri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced a debt restructuring deal with countries including India, France, Japan and China in a televised address to the nation.
Read more »
Sri Lanka reaches deal on debt restructuring with bilateral creditors including China and FranceSri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced a debt restructuring deal with countries including India, France, Japan and China in a televised address to the nation. The agreement marks a key step in the country’s economic recovery after defaulting on debt repayment in 2022. Sri Lanka is in an International Monetary Fund bailout program.
Read more »
Old video of burning ship in Sri Lanka falsely shared as Huthi attackYemen's Huthi rebels have targeted vessels in and around the Red Sea in an ongoing campaign they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians. Footage of a burning ship shared in TikTok and X posts about the attacks is, however, unrelated.
Read more »
Sri Lanka likely to sign bilateral debt agreements on Wednesday, foreign minister saysSri Lanka likely to sign bilateral debt agreements on Wednesday, foreign minister says
Read more »