Hence, the President further said that he trust the workers of the country will cooperate with the government to overcome all local and international challenges.

Full text of the message:

I am pleased to send this message on the occasion of May Day, the most important celebration of working people the world over.

This occasion is celebrated by the working people of Sri Lanka with enthusiasm and pride. We are indeed fortunate for having established a conducive democratic environment in the country, a peaceful atmosphere in the work place and legal rights to organization and assembly to our workers. As a worker-friendly government we are glad of our success in providing a free and democratic May Day to the working people.

The country is today on the correct path towards sustainable development. The village and the town speedily march towards progress under the Divi Neguma and Gama Neguma development projects envisaged in our policy framework Mahinda Chinthana.

Our working people can be happy at our government’s success in keeping inflation at single digit level for five years and reducing unemployment to 4%.

We need to be constantly cautious of conspiracies to disrupt the work force of the country. However, I have the fullest confidence that our working people will safeguard the workers’ rights and unitedly defeat such conspiracies that come with ulterior motives.

Hence, I trust the workers of the country will cooperate with the government to overcome all local and international challenges.

I salute the workers of Sri Lanka and their trade unions on this May Day.