THE RECENT STRIKE WAVE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
The wave of strikes initiated by the Trotskyist-led Ceylon Federation of Labour in the private sector of Ceylon's economy has recently ended. It dealt a severe blow to the government's new anti-working-class industrial legislation, and to the Stalinists who, guided by their line of support for the government, had advised their unions to adhere to the new industrial legis-
The wave of strikes in the private sector followed that in the state sector, which had come to an end about two months
Under pressure of the rising cost of living, the government workers, led by the railwaymen, had struck, demand. ing. readjustment of their wage scales. The strike paralyzed in particular island-wide rail transport. The Trotskyist leadership of these strikes was widely recognized, and Comrade N M Perera of the Lanka Samasamaja Party (Ceylonese Section of the Fourth International) negotiated with the government on behalf of the workers. With the government's immediate increase of the workers' special living allowance by 17/50 rupees, and the promise to readjust wage scales without delay, the strike was
In anticipation of the demand for the new cost-of-living allowance (won by the government workers) in the private sector, the government had passed legislation empowering the government to refer any industrial dispute at whatever stage to an Industrial Court. According to this legislation, the parties to the dispute were forced to abide by the Industrial Court's decision and to eschew all direct action both during and after the Court proceedings. Even criticism of the award was illegal.
The Parliamentary Opposition, led by the Trotskyists, exposed this legislation as an anti-working-class measure. In their criticism they were supported by the three Stalinist members in Parliament too, but after its enactment the Stalinists advised their unions to agree to allowing their dispute over the special living allowance of Rs 17/50 being referred to an Industrial Court.
The Trotskyist-led Ceylon Federation of Labour, on the other hand, advised all its affiliated unions to resort to strike action on this issue. The principal strike in this wave was that of the workers of the Oil Companies (Shell, Standard Vacuum, and Caltex), which nearly paralyzed the road transport of the country.
Others involved in the strikes were the engineering workers, shop and office employees, hotel workers, and gas workers. All these strikes, except the engineering workers' strike, settled with the companies agreeing to pay the Rs 17/50 with
The managements of the engineering reluctant to settle the strike on these terms because they expect a lesser sum to be awarded by the Industrial Court It is hoped, however, that the granting of the Rs 17/50 by the strike-bound firms would make the Industrial Court also make this its own award.