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Sri Lankan workers discuss the fight for a democratic and socialist congress

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Sri Lankan workers discuss the fight for a democratic and socialist congress
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Sri Lankan workers discuss the fight for a democratic and socialist congress

In line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictates, President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government is accelerating its moves to privatise state-owned enterprises in Sri Lanka.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has responded by stepping up the struggle for workers to build their own action committees and the holding of a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses to combat the government’s attacks on jobs and social rights.

Colombo harbour workers marching on 20 April 2022 [Photo: WSWS]

The SEP’s call for the Congress is to provide a political focus for the widespread opposition among working people revealed by months of mass protests and strikes against rampant inflation and severe shortages. The popular uprising forced Gotabhaya Rajapakse to flee the country and resign as president, but the Wickremesinghe government, with the backing of the entire political establishment, is implementing the same IMF austerity agenda.

In recent weeks, campaigners have distributed SEP statements and held discussions with Colombo harbour and irrigation department workers. The statements distributed include, “Reject All-Party Regime! No to IMF Austerity! Fight to build Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses!” and “Release the Students Detained under Anti-terror laws!” as well as the WSWS article “JVP attempts to revive myths on parliamentary democracy.”

The strategically-located Colombo harbour, which is owned by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), is a key target in the government’s privatisation drive. Much of the harbour has already been opened up to foreign investors, including from India and China.

Speaking with SEP campaigners, a worker from the tugboat section said: “I’ve worked here for decades. Due to the betrayals of the trade unions, most of the sections here have already been assigned to the private sector. The rest of it is also about to be privatised.

“Senior managers are already not filling vacancies when employees retire on reaching 60 and there are many workers due to retire this year. Sometimes retired workers are reemployed on a contract basis in order to have the work done at a lower cost. The government is getting ready to fully implement the IMF’s program in the harbour.”

The tugboat worker told SEP campaigners that he had previously been connected with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) but left the organisation because of its pro-capitalist polices, citing in particular a recent meeting between the US ambassador in Colombo and the JVP leaders.

He said that the All-Ceylon General Port Workers Union, which is controlled by the JVP, in alliance with other trade unions, confined workers’ struggles to appealing to the government to halt privatisation. This has become futile, he said, “and privatisation goes on.”

Colombo harbour workers protest against privatisation on 2 February, 2017 [AP Photo]

SEP campaigners explained the party’s call for a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses based on workers’ action committees and why it was necessary to fight for this perspective.


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