All the forces that played a progressive role in the struggle have come together and have started the next step today (27th), says KD Lal Kantha, Member of the Political Bureau and the President of the National Trade Union Centre.
He said this while addressing the protest rally held by the Trade Union Coordinating Center (TUCC) at Hide Park in Colombo yesterday (27th ).
Speaking further, he said, “It is apparent that this struggle started by the Trade Union Coordination Center will end with victory. A full platform has been built today, including the pilots of the hartal struggle, which unites all the struggles, including the Galle Face struggle, the farmers’ struggle and the fishermen’s struggle that occurred throughout the country.
The trade unions asked to lock down the country while the rulers were silent, allowing people to die due to the Corona issue. The trade unions warned that if the country was not locked down, they would take necessary steps to close the country. The trade union coordination centre won those goals. A one-day general strike was launched on April 28 to make the Gota Go Home slogan successful through the Galle Face struggle.
This trade union movement has shown that it has won its battles. After the hartal of 1953, TUCC was able to organize a harthal that brought the rulers to their knees by shutting down the entire country and achieving a huge victory. They have gathered on this platform. In the recent past, the trade union leadership has confirmed that this struggle will end with victory.
There were several main slogans of the struggle. The slogan “Let’s chase away thieves!” was carried throughout the country, but thieves are still there. It is certain that this centre will be able to dissolve the parliament and get complete victories by linking the three slogans: “let’s chase away thieves, punish the thieves and reclaim the stolen property”.
As the trade union coordination centre and the united people’s movement, we took specific decisions and brought the rulers to their knees on specific dates. Today, we have been able to go beyond that and unite all the forces that played a progressive role in the struggle. They have come together to start the next step today. People should come forward for a new struggle with that belief.”