Devil dancing by Matara SLTB depot staff

Staff of the SLTB depot in Matara, whose strike to obtain their March and April salaries had gone on for six days, held a ‘Thovilaya’ ceremony yesterday (11). They did this to evoke the blessings for the abolition of the weaknesses in the management of the depot.

Among their other grievances was a request to reinstate depot inspectors, Prabath Umayangana and M.M.Neil who had themselves staged a struggle for salary arrears to be paid and the removal of the Assistant Manager – Administration of the depot, Swarna Jayasekera, who had used abusive language and had tried to attack Secretary of the trade union, M.M.Indika.

They said that the strike would go on until such time that their demands were met.

When inquiries were made about the demands of the workers from the assistant manager-administration of the SLTB, Matara Depot, Swarna Jayasekera, she said that it was only the March salary of the drivers and conductors that was left to be paid and that two workers including one security officer had been interdicted on disciplinary grounds.

She said that it was unfair to stage strikes to remove her when disciplinary inquiries had been held, according to the circulars of the institution, against some workers who had inconvenienced the passengers.

Devil Dancing ( Thovilaya) performed by SLTB depot staff in Matara to obtain salaries.