Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the working people of the country have to celebrate the International Workers’ Day in a situation where they are facing many serious crises as a country and that it is a result of arbitrary autocracy caused by a short-sighted regime for several years. 

In his May Day message, he charged that the current government is trying to apply “childish, unsuccessful and plaster solutions to suppress the serious economic crisis” that the country is facing by selling off the national resources and it will only result in “a desert land where the country has lost all its local resources.”

Premadasa stressed that the actual situation is far more serious than “the picture they are painting to deceive people” and, that we are coming closer to a grave tragedy day by day.

He alleged that Workers’ Day is celebrated in a situation where “people have lost all hope, getting tears instead of smiles, threats and repression instead of democracy as burdens the government has imposed on the people, and it is now very well known that only a group with a sustainable program can change this situation completely and establish human freedom and the development of the country.” 

The reality is that a country cannot be built from failed crony capitalism or outmoded socialism and it can only be done through a middle path based on true nationalism, the SJB leader added. 

He said that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya is the only force that can take up the challenge of building our country as a great country free of extremism, casteism, and terrorism, and he invited all working people of the nation with respect and pride to join with that reliable program to build a strong camp.

 May Day message issued by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa! 

Working people around the world celebrate their traditions, histories and achievements every year on 01st May. The International Workers’ Day is celebrated in memory of the historic and life sacrificed struggle of the Chicago workers demanding an eight-hour work day in 1886, and the working people of Sri Lanka also remember that historic day. The working people of our country have to celebrate the International Workers’ Day in a situation where we are facing many serious crises as a country and it is a result of arbitrary autocracy caused by a short-sighted regime for several years. 

The current government is trying to apply childish, unsuccessful and plaster solutions to suppress the serious economic crisis that the country is facing by selling off the national resources and it will only result in a desert land where the country has lost all its local resources. With election of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to power, our country underwent a historic decline and through the current administration, that journey of failure is going forward very successfully. The actual situation is far more serious than the picture they are painting to deceive people and, we are coming closer to a grave tragedy day by day. 

People’s lives are collapsing into a serious abyss day by day, and a large number of people have lost their jobs. The government has reached the level of completely eliminating the dignity of work and mocking workers. No pay hike has been introduced for years and the culture of political revenge has grown to a level of suppression. The tragedy is that about 40% of the country’s spending on education and health has been cut. 85% of the population is facing tragedies such as borrowing money, reducing spending on education and health, spending savings, while about 68% of the population is reducing the amount of food consumed, reducing the number of meals, etc. 14.3% of the population is living below the poverty line. The Central Bank has made predictions that the pressure of the economic crisis may worsen for this reason. 

Our country celebrates Workers’ Day in such a situation! 

Workers’ Day is celebrated in a situation where people have lost all hope, getting tears instead of smiles, threats and repression instead of democracy as burdens the government has imposed on the people, and it is now very well known that only a group with a sustainable program can change this situation completely and establish human freedom and the development of the country. The reality is that a country cannot be built from failed crony capitalism or outmoded socialism and it can only be done through a middle path based on true nationalism. 

Samagi Jana Balawegaya is the only force that can take up the challenge of building our country as a great country free of extremism, casteism, and terrorism, and we invite all working people of the nation with respect and pride to join with that reliable program to build a strong camp!