October 22, Colombo (LNW): Development officers across Sri Lanka are preparing to launch an island-wide trade union strike on November 9, demanding solutions to a series of longstanding employment and service-related grievances that they say remain unaddressed despite repeated appeals to the authorities.
The Joint Development Officers’ Centre announced the planned industrial action, stating that continued delays in resolving the concerns of development officers had left the union with little choice but to intensify its campaign.
The organisation’s General Secretary, Dhammika Munasinghe, said the relevant authorities had been made aware of the workers’ grievances on several occasions, but meaningful measures to address them had yet to materialise.
He also pointed out that the present Government had assumed office with promises to resolve the difficulties faced by development officers. However, according to Munasinghe, several fundamental problems affecting their professional advancement, employment conditions and remuneration remain unresolved.
One of the principal concerns raised by the union is the absence of a clearly defined framework outlining the duties and responsibilities of development officers. The lack of an established promotion scheme has also created uncertainty over career progression within the service.
Munasinghe said officers face a waiting period of around 10 years to advance between grades, while no higher grade has been established to provide further opportunities for promotion.
The union has also raised concerns over the employment status of officers following their training. Although the training period lasts one year, the organisation claims that officers have not been absorbed into the permanent service as expected.
Salary disparities constitute another major grievance, with the union arguing that differences in remuneration add to the difficulties faced by development officers.
According to Munasinghe, these issues collectively reflect the lack of progress in addressing concerns that have persisted for years, despite assurances that improvements would be made.
The Joint Development Officers’ Centre said the November 9 strike was intended to draw nationwide attention to the unresolved demands and increase pressure on the authorities to initiate meaningful discussions and implement corrective measures.
The proposed industrial action could place renewed focus on the employment framework governing development officers, particularly questions surrounding career progression, permanent appointments and fair remuneration.
The union has maintained that a satisfactory response from the authorities is necessary to resolve the dispute, while the planned strike represents its latest effort to secure concrete action on the outstanding issues.
The post Development Officers to Launch Island-Wide Strike on Nov 09 Over Unresolved Service Issues appeared first on LNW Lanka News Web.