School teachers and principals to continue strike tomorrow

The General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin says that the teacher-principal trade unions will continue their strike action tomorrow (27) as well, protesting against the firing of tear gas and water cannons to disperse their protest march in Colombo today.

The teacher-principal trade unions engaged in an island-wide trade union action by reporting sick leave today (26) based on several demands. At the same time, the members of the trade union launched a protest in Colombo which commenced from near the Colombo Fort Railway Station.

Police had resorted to using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters near the Lotus Roundabout in Colombo, while they were attempting to march towards the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon.

Earlier today, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court issued an order preventing the General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers’ Union Joseph Stalin, Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero and 8 others from staging a demonstration in a manner that inconvenience the public or pedestrians along Galle Road, NSA Roundabout and several roads in Colombo.

The court also prohibited them from entering the Finance Ministry, President’s Secretariat, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and President’s House premises, as per a request made by Kompanna Veediya Police.