On 23 November 2016, management at Tri Star Apparel Exports (Pvt) Ltd suspended both the branch union president and chief organiser of the Commerce and Industrial Workers Union (CIWU) for organising a strike.
The almost 200 workers at the factory, of whom 140 were members of the union, had been facing problems since October, including delayed salaries, unpaid gratuities to retired workers, the company’s failure to contribute to the social security fund as required by law, and others. The factory, which no longer executed export orders and produces mostly for local market, remained under the jurisdiction of the Board of Investment, a Sri Lankan authority responsible for export processing zones (EPZs).
The strike was called after the October 2016 wages had still not been paid by 18 November, while office staff remained unpaid for three months. Management then paid 30 per cent of wages but no more.
On 25 November 2016, management sent all the workers on leave till 5 December without paying the rest of the salaries owed. On 5 December, the factory remained closed, and the workers were asked to come back ten days later and collect their salaries. But on 15 December the factory was still locked. The factory’s general manager informed workers that the salaries could not be paid on that day and the factory would not be opened.