Protests, strikes, demonstrations and trade union action have taken place throughout the history of the country. All this was done to win the various demands of the workers, to put pressure on the government, for the safety of the profession and for the rights of the workers.
The strikes and protests may have led to the overthrow of existing governments. During the post-2015 era of good governance, various trade unions launched various agitations, strikes, protests, marches and trade union action. But none of them were subjected to physical torture except water cannon and tear gas. When people protested a lot, President Maithripala Sirisena remained silent and they thought the President was a fool.
Many people on the streets were inconvenienced as people chose the main roads in the main cities for these marches, protests and demonstrations.
However, with the overthrow of the new government in 2019, incumbent President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has set aside a separate place for protesters. Apart from that, protests and demonstrations were banned in other places in Colombo.
Accordingly, protests and strikes were almost non-existent at the beginning of the new government. And the people had the impression that the current president would do something. But it has now gradually dissolved.
At present 1903 trade unions are registered in the Department of Labor alone. In 2019 alone, 132 new unions were registered. Also, 144 unions have been canceled this year.
These people are trying to win their rights by forming trade unions. They are now beginning to feel that their rights are being violated more than ever.
In 2019 alone, there were 25 strikes. According to the latest information from the Department of Labor, 7611 workers participated in the event and 56052 man days were lost.
The highest number of strikes was in the manufacturing sector. That is 11 strikes.
According to statistics, the number of strikes in 2019 has dropped significantly compared to 2018.