Shipping company seeking control of Colombo Port’s Eastern Terminal: Union claims
- CNL Reporter
- February 14, 2025
- Political
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A major shipping company is attempting to acquire the Eastern Container Terminal of the Colombo Port. Altering the terminal’s route plan under the present government can be the preliminary step toward handing it over to another party, said Joint Alliance of Port Trade Unions Co-Convenor Shyamal Sumanaratne.
He made this statement at a special media briefing held in Colombo yesterday (13) to inform the Joint Alliance of Port Trade Unions about the actions of the current administration of the Ports Authority.
“There is suspicion that a plan is being implemented to benefit another terminal by altering the original route plan of the Eastern Container Terminal at the Colombo Port. Additionally, the current administration of the Ports Authority has cancelled the tender for purchasing equipment for the terminal, which will further delay the construction,” he said.
“The current port administration has misled government officials, including President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Ports Minister and the Deputy Minister. The cancellation of the equipment tender and the pressure exerted by port officials on the construction company will delay the terminal’s completion by at least 16 months,” he added.
He asserted that the Eastern Terminal cannot be opened in June, as the President claims, and warned that the entire port system could collapse if immediate action is not taken to address these issues.
Sumanaratne further said that weaknesses in port administration are causing shipping companies with existing contracts to leave, and the number of departures from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority is expected to rise in the future.
He pointed out that port workers’ trade unions are committed to protecting the port, putting aside political differences to ensure the Eastern Terminal’s security.
“Regardless of the challenges ahead, we, as responsible trade unions, will step forward to safeguard the port. The Joint Alliance of Trade Unions holds significant influence within the port sector,” he said.
Sumanaratne also accused the current administration of engaging in activities detrimental to the port, which he described as the heart of Sri Lanka’s economy. He pointed out that the government had to restructure itself within a short period and that many high-ranking officials in the current administration lack sufficient knowledge of port operations.
“Such mismanagement cannot be tolerated under the current government, which was appointed with high public expectations. If the President and relevant authorities fail to address this issue, it will lead to a direct confrontation with the workers,” he warned.
