Call 280 From 24 February to 15 April 2005

Like other South Asian countries, Sri Lanka recently experienced one of the most tragic events in its history. The Tsunami devastated the coastline of a country that was already profoundly scarred by an endless war between the Tamil and the Singhalese. The unprecedented generosity and solidarity in the wake of the tidal wave revealed an emergence of a worldwide awareness of the distress of the poorest of poor. Yet we have to be attentive to what lies behind these fits of generosity. While the CEO of a leading Sri Lankan corporation is advertising his compassion in the national press, his henchmen are attacking trade unionists within his own company.

On 1 February 2005 members of the Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union (FTZ&GSEU) were making posters in their Colombo offices for a demonstration planned to take place in front of their factory the next day. They were demanding the implementation of wage increases provided for by labour agreements throughout the country, which the company was refusing to grant them.

The unionists had not yet finished the posters when a group of men armed with cricket bats burst into the room and injured five of them. They were taken to hospital where two of them were kept for treatment for several days.

The next day the other union members decided to strike to support their colleagues since the assailants were obviously connected to company management. Since then the FTZ&GSEU has maintained its action not only to ensure that its demands are met but also for the safety of its members. They fear that unionists will be victims of violence because the firm is notorious for its brutality and known to have sacked workers en masse to curb any independent union activity.

Rhetoric of generosity

Ceynergy Electronic is a subsidiary of the Ceylinco group whose CEO, Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawela, is well known in Sri Lanka and very concerned about his public image - so much so that he has even paid for advertising space in the national press to express his compassion for victims of the Tsunami. Two hundred people, of whom 120 are women, work in Ceynergy Electronic’s Colombo factory. They produce electric bulbs for the local market and export. The firm also assembles electronic equipment from imported components.

There is no independent trade union in any of Ceylinco’s many companies. Only company unions, directly controlled by management, are supposed to represent workers. Yet at Ceynergy Electronic the vast majority of workers recently joined the FTW&GSEU and on 19 November 2004 announced the creation of a new branch of the union. The company immediately reacted with every possible form of intimidation: abolition of annual bonuses and paid overtime, transfers, demotion of union leaders, and dismissals.

A Violent Reality

The FTZ&GSEU has written to Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawela, CEO of the Group, to ask him to open negotiations to reach an agreement. None of its letters have been answered. The union has also referred the matter to the labour bureau asking it to organize mediation. On 26 January 2005 a labour inspector tried to set up a meeting for this purpose but was unable to obtain a positive response or a willingness to negotiate.

That is why, when the Ceylinco Group refused wage increases of 500 Sri Lankan rupees [1], provided for throughout the country, members of the FTZ&GSEU decided to launch protest actions that led to the 1 February assault.

The outcome of this conflict is crucial because Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawela is highly influential in Sri Lanka and very close to the powers that be. The emergence of free trade unionism within the Ceylinco Group can be decisive for the entire country. The FTZ&GSEU is therefore appealing for an international campaign to reveal the real behaviour of the businessman who is hiding his true intentions of maximizing profits behind the public image of concern for his fellow citizens’ distress.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union

This union was formed when the Industry and Transport General Workers’ Union (ITGWU) and the Free Trade Zone Workers’ Union (FTZWU) merged on 9 March 2003.

Solidarity after the Tsunami

The FTZ&GSEU participates in solidarity actions. It has joined forces with the Women’s Center to rebuild 50 houses for workers who were victims of the disaster.

Help to rebuild these houses!

Each house costs 1,000 euros. After initial emergency aid, Peuples Solidaires decided to join this initiative and is requesting your support.
You can help to finance this programme by sending your contributions to Peuples Solidaires - Solidarité Sri Lanka, 10 Quai de Richemont - 35000 Rennes.

Further information available on request.

WHAT TO DO ?

By letter: Copy or download the standard letter below by clicking here. Send your letter to the address indicated below and remember to add your own address and to sign your letter.

Deadline: as soon as you receive this call and not later than end April 2005.

LETTER :

Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawela
Chairman
c/o Ajith Gunawardena
Operations Director
Ceylinco Consolidated
3 Dickman’s Lane
Colombo 4
Sri Lanka

(Date)

Dear Mr Deshamanya Lalith Kotalawela

I have been alerted by Réseau-Solidarité (...) to the situation at Ceynergy Electronic and am shocked to learn about the violence used against trade unionists in this firm.

In full support of the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union, I urge you to:
  guarantee the safety of workers at Ceynergy Electronic
  ensure that no violence or intimidation are used against them
  help the authorities to find the people responsible for the assault that took place on 1 February 2005
  observe Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organization concerning the right to organize and to negotiate collective agreements
  agree to negotiations with the SZF to reach an agreement throughout your Group.

I plan to remain informed of the situation and hope to receive positive news concerning the action undertaken by your company in this respect.

Yours sincerely

[1] 100 rupees = 0.78 euros