Sri Lanka: FTZ workers complain about harassment by CID officers

Photo courtesy: vikalpa.org

Colombo Page
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Trade unions affiliated to the free trade zones (FTZs) in Sri Lanka have written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) condemning the conduct of CID officers with regard to the FTZ employees and unions that protested against the government's proposed private sector pension bill.

Trade unionists charge that union members who were involved in the protest campaign are being intimidated and harassed.

The Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZ and GSEU) has informed the IGP that the CID officers were acting in violation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.

Secretary of the FTZ and GSEU, Anton Marcus has said the matter was also brought up at the last meeting of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) held on August 5 under the patronage of Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge.

Marcus has said that CID officers had intruded trade union offices in Katunayake on July 29th and had searched, rummaged files and documents and questioned the officials present.

The FTZ and GSEU has also sent copies of the letter to the IGP to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, all trade union members of the National Labour Advisory Council and all trade unions in the Joint Trade Union Alliance (JTUA).

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