Already the government has slashed jobs and cut back on health, education and welfare programs in order to try to bring government spending into line with IMF demands. This is not the first time that PA-affiliated unions have played such a role. Most of the present union leaders were union officials during the period of the previous SLFP-led coalition government between 1970 and 1977. S. Siriwardena, general secretary of the Ceylon Commercial and Industrial Workers Union, explained in an interview with the Sinhala weekly Ravaya late last year that workers had to consider the government's point of view. The government does not see it the way the workers see it.
Government has to think about the politics and the country's economy.
Within this globalisation process we have to enter the world market. We have to invite the foreign investors. We cannot forget local investors. We cannot fall back to a backward situation in developing the country. The WSWS invites your comments.