A recent online meeting organized by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) focused on the ongoing strike by postal workers and the wider political implications of the economic crisis in the country. Speakers emphasized the necessity for postal workers to understand their struggle as part of a broader crisis of Sri Lankan capitalism, exacerbated by the government’s implementation of austerity measures dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The meeting highlighted the historical context of the crisis, including past struggles and betrayals by trade unions. Speakers urged postal workers to break from these traditional organizations and form independent action committees to effectively fight for their rights and against the government’s policies. These action committees were presented as a means to unite workers across different sectors and ethnicities, providing a platform for democratic decision-making and independent mobilization.
The discussion underscored the need for a socialist program to address the fundamental issues underlying the economic crisis and to challenge the capitalist system that perpetuates inequality and exploitation. The SEP and IYSSE advocated for the establishment of a workers’ and peasants’ government to implement socialist policies, including nationalizing key industries and implementing social programs to improve the living standards of the working class. The meeting aimed to educate and mobilize workers, connecting their immediate struggles to a broader political movement for socialist change.
find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/08/29/reft-a29.html