Sri Lankan transport company Global Transportation and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd (Global Park) suddenly announced the dismissal of 66 workers on 13 January 2017.
They were all members of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU), which tried to speak to management about the dismissals, but in vain.
Shortly before the sudden dismissals, the FTZ union had complained in writing to the Prime Minister about the high handed management style and threats to workers at Global Park, targeting union activists. The dismissals looked suspiciously like retaliation.
Global Park is owned by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake who remained the principal decision maker and was known to be anti-union.
Unions were increasingly concerned at the attitude of business owners in Free Trade Zones, especially in the Katunayake FTZ, where the manufacturers’ association is accused of collectively engaging in union busting, and making frequent use of daily paid contract labour through manpower agencies.
Trade unions in the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) had jointly requested the Minister of Labour to remove the Katunayake Manufacturers’ Association from the NLAC membership for its anti-union, anti-labour activities.
