Do protesting unionists follow basic

ethics and moral values? Elite Shylocks

clamour for a pinch of flesh denied for
good reason
Doctors, engineers and govt. executives stoop to strikes over car permits

2015-12-04
The former Commissioner of the Sri
Lanka Human Rights Commission, Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the
Colombo University Law Faculty delivering a lecture on Tuesday (01) at a
symposium for journalists on transitional justice at the Sri Lanka Press
Institute spoke about one of his personal experiences in Geneva a couple
of years ago.
During the height of activities and negotiations, we received a text
message saying; Wanathe Sunil is missing in Sri Lanka. Everyone panicked
not over what has happened, but who this Wanathe Sunil was. Almost
everyone participating in the sessions received this message and even
some African and Asian ambassadors approached us inquiring after the
person. But, we did not know [who it was]. It took us several hours to
determine the story behind the message.
Wanathe Sunil was the guy who mobilised people to protest against the
allocation of sub-standard houses for those who were evicted from shanties
in Colombo. He took the initiative to fight a powerful regime especially
against a powerful official at the Defence and Urban Development Ministry
on an issue of concern of his own community. But he was abducted and
went missing the message went to Geneva within minutes when in
session.
Wanathe Sunil became a world famous name within minutes. And I think
he was released within hours and he became a talking point in Geneva,
said Dr. Prathiba.

That was the nature of democracy we experienced over

the past ten years. No dissent was tolerated and fighting for rights was a
crime or was totally unpatriotic. As far as I can remember the only fight
that sustained to some extent without a major hindrance was the protest by
university teachers that predominantly demanded a six per cent allocation
for education. But it ended with no results,apart from the fact that it
became an eye-opener to those concerns that culminated in this years
budget.
But in contrast today, we see a wave of trade union actions and protests
that are taking place in several sectors of society. What does it mean? Trade
union action or protesting for rights is a sign of a healthy democracy.
Tolerating them, providing them with necessary space, listening to them are
cardinal components of good governance. But both sides - the protestors
and the government - have their own limitations.
Look at what happened during the HNDA student protest. The brutal
response was a mere continuation of the policies of the previous regime, as
publicly claimed. Neither the protesting students nor the police could
exceed their own limitations when exercising democratic rights.

The railway protest last week raised many concerns. The first was the
violent act by the passengers of the Rambukkana train who attacked a sick
engine driver who could not move the train. They assumed he was drunk.
What was the ultimate result? An island wide train strike. Who was at fault?
To my mind it was the responsibility of the Railway Department. Who
assigned a sick train driver for the job? Who monitored the train that was
not moving for a long time? Did anybody make a serious effort to look into
this matter? The most interesting part that was reported in the media was
the act of another engine driver who decided to join the ongoing strike by
his colleagues. He was driving the Badulla Colombo bound train and at
Gampola station he was informed about the strike. If the media reports
were correct, he decided to join his protesting colleagues and informed
them about the issue with the help of police and then moved the empty
train to Colombo.
One pertinent issue that comes up with trade union actions is morality. Do
these protesting sectors follow basic ethics and basic moral values?
Especially in the fields like medicine, this could be an argument of immense
public interest.
If one were to seriously analyse the on-going trade union actions, who are
in the forefront? The professionals and administrative executives of the
state sector.They include doctors, engineers and other executives of the
public service. What is the main issue? The cancellation of their privileges
such as vehicle permits by the Budget. Salary anomalies, EPF and ETF were
added to that.

Pic by pradeep pathirana

Cancellation of vehicle permits was a blanket policy decision for every
segment that included even MPs. But the government made a mess of this
issue with a reversal of the decision with regard to parliamentarians. Thus,
it provided a valid and justifiable argument and a better stand for a struggle
by these professional bodies for their share of the privileges as well. The
government would have maintained its blanket policy stand at least for an
year, mainly with regard to MPs.
If trade unions and their gatherings are to protect the rights of the
profession and its practitioners what about its recipients? For example,
should the poor sick patients in this country suffer (or even die) merely
because his or her doctor is not getting a duty free car this year? What
about the rights of this poor patient? Have we ever seen doctors getting on
to the streets demanding better medical conditions for their patients? Have
they ever protested against the lack of medicine at hospitals. Did they
enjoy it by writing prescriptions to the nearby pharmacy that brings direct
benefits to them?
However, this government should expect more of such trade union
activities in the near future due to many reasons. The working class would
feel comfortable to get on to the street for their demands as compared to

the previous regime. That would certainly be another litmus test for the
Yahapalana government in handling this wave of strikes and protests. The
UNP got a black mark some 35 years ago when it brutally responded to the
1980 July strikes. But now the world is different; socio-political and market
trends are different; leadership is different; perception, too.
Should a poor sick patient suffer (or even die) because his doctor is not
getting a duty free car this year? What about the rights of this patient?
Have we ever seen doctors getting on to the streets demanding better
medical conditions for their patients, or against the lack of medicine at
hospitals? Did they enjoy writing prescriptions to the nearby pharmacy that
brings direct benefits to them?
Posted by Thavam