July 01, Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition and the country's most rightwing political party, the United National Party (UNP), today said it would join hands with the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in the trade union action planned on July 10.

Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo today, UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilake said his party is taking this decision on behalf of the working class.

He said that working class people are about to be choked with the “unbearable cost of living under the present regime” and therefore the UNP has decided to support the JVP-led trade union struggle.

“Now working people are getting ready to take a trade union action demanding 5000 rupees salary increase. Here, the UNP will give its fullest support on behalf of the working class,” he said.

He also said that the UNP is happy that the JVP has finally realized the plight of the working people. “We did not wait until this July to see this reality,” he added.

Speaking about the nominations for the upcoming provincial council elections, Mr. Karunathilake said that the government is engaged in a political game by trying to have “undue influence” on his party’s powerful candidates. “Therefore, we will only hand over our nominations at the last moment,” he said.