Customs trade unions say that the trade union action will continue until the official letter reinstating P. S. M. Charles as the Director General of Sri Lanka Customs is received.

The trade Union action was launched by the Customs Trade Union Alliance on 30th January in protest over the decision to transfer the Director General of Sri Lanka Customs P.S.M. Charles and the appointing of a retired navy officer to the position.

The Customs trade Union Alliance stated that as per government laws and regulations the position of Director General can only be held by a Special Grade Officer from the State Administration Service of Sri Lanka Customs.

The operations at the Customs Headquarters have come to a standstill during the past four days owing to the trade union action while Customs Clearance operations have been limited.

Customs officers point out that customs clearance activities have dropped by 90 percent due to the ongoing trade union action.

Importers and Whole Sale Traders’ Union shut down wholesale shops of essential food items in Pettah, today. They said that they have been severely inconvenienced with the trade union action and if this continues there is a possibility of a food shortage.

Meanwhile, at the Cabinet meeting held today, it was decided that P.S.M. Charles will be reinstated as the Director General of Sri Lanka Customs for a period of three months. Reportedly, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera withdrew the Cabinet paper seeking to transfer P.S.M. Charles from the position of Customs DG.