About 300 members of the Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees Union (FTZ & GSEU) at the Sumithra Hasalaka plant in Colombo, Sri Lanka, have been on strike since Saturday, February 10, 2024. After factory management physically attacked and attempted to prevent union members from meeting to discuss their insufficient wages, the workers were left with no choice but to launch industrial action. The wage proposal for 2024 was far below that of other textile mills in the area and failed to compensate for the lack of a pay raise in 2023. Furthermore, the administration sought to unfairly exclude certain workers from wage increases and bonus payments.

Sumithra Hasalaka factory workers produce clothing for international fashion brands such as Asda, Dillards, and Superdry. The factory is part of the Sumithra Group, which owns three other plants in Colombo and produces for brands including Dunnes Stores, Huckberry, J&N Herz Ltd, Marks & Spencer, Prana, and Tom Tailor. Despite the catastrophic increase in the cost of living, the Sumithra Group refused to raise wages and instead displayed hostility toward union activities.

The plant management responded to the legal strike with physical attacks, intimidation, and union-busting tactics. They denied striking workers access to official transport, harassed family members to break the strike, and attempted to force union members to sign letters of resignation from the union. Additionally, they used physical violence, filed unfounded police reports against union leaders, and threatened workers that their jobs would be considered vacant and bonuses denied if they did not return to work.

Anton Marcus, Secretary of the FTZ & GSEU, stated that workers in Sri Lanka are struggling to survive on low wages after years of financial crisis and inflation. He emphasized that workers need the power of their unions to negotiate now more than ever, adding that it is unacceptable for Sumithra Hasalaka workers to be subjected to harassment and violence simply for standing up for their rights. Freedom of association is a basic human right. The Clean Clothes Campaign, and Novi sindikat as its member, therefore invite the management of the Sumithra Group:

• to immediately stop any attempt to suppress, intimidate and break up unions against union leaders and union members of the FTZ & GSEU
• to withdraw threats that the jobs of workers on strike will be considered vacant and that their bonuses will be deducted
• that all letters of expulsion from the union that the workers were forced to sign declare null and void
• to withdraw all complaints to the authorities against the union leaders of the FTZ &GSEU Union
• to pay wages to workers during the strike, for provoking and mistreating workers carried out by the factory administration
• to return in good faith to the negotiating table with the FTZ &GSEU Union, in order to reach an agreement on fair wages

Support to textile & nbsp;workers of Sumithra Hasalaka factory!