Members of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees’ Union (FTZ&GSEU) reported that ATG Ceylon Pvt Ltd., a British-Sri Lankan industrial gloves manufacturer, refused to discuss worker issues raised by the union and engaged in a series of union-busting tactics, including intimidation, harassment and unlawful dismissals. Workers had been staging protests since 2018 over labour abuses at the company’s two factories based in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone.
On 11 January 2019, the company dismissed five workers and union members involved in an arbitration process with the company that had not yet concluded. The arbitration related to an incident in September 2015, when pamphlets were placed without permission on the company noticeboard announcing a blood donation camp organised by the union with the health minister. After the incident, ATG management issued charge sheets against 30 employees. Subsequently, seven employees, including union officers, were placed under disciplinary proceedings while a warning letter was sent to other employees. From that time ATG orchestrated a relentless campaign of discrimination against the union.
The workers resumed their protest immediately after the 11 January dismissals, demanding the reinstatement of the dismissed workers and an end to union oppression and also denouncing violence and sexual harassment against a woman worker who was pressured to leave both the protests and the union.
ATG Ceylon management denied the allegations and continued to ignore advice from conciliatory talks, first by the Assistant Labour Commissioner of the Negambo division on 16 January and then by the Commissioner General of Labour during mediation proceedings from 21 to 24 January.
Furthermore, the management used a court order to stop the union officers and leaders of the FTZ&GSEU from meeting and addressing the protesting workers, thereby restricting the right of union leaders to interact with their members. The strike continued.
