Sri Lanka: Railway strike in Colombo launched October 11

Event

Railway unions in the capital Colombo launched an indefinite strike during the evening rush hour on Wednesday, October 11, resulting in cancelations of services throughout the country and leaving commuters stranded. A protest broke out at Colombo’s Fort Railway Station on Wednesday evening, with police teams subsequently deployed to calm the crowd. As of Thursday, services have still not been restored and thousands remain stranded. Dense traffic jams were observed in Colombo and its outskirts. Replacement buses have been deployed by the Ministry of Transport.

Context

The unions behind the strike are demanding that the government investigate the irregular recruitment of junior train drivers and revise the recruitment procedure for trainees.

Advice

Individuals present in Colombo are advised to keep abreast of the situation, confirm their travel reservations and itineraries, and anticipate transportation disruptions.