Katunayake EPZ turned into battlefield; Police, workers trade accusations; Katunayake EPZ closed today
Over a dozen police personnel, including DIG Ravi Wijegoonewardene and many garment workers were injured in clashes between the police and the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (EPZ) workers yesterday.
The police alleged that they had no option but to use force after hundreds of garment workers targeted the Katunayake police station demanding that the government abandon its controversial Private Sector Pension (PSP) Bill. The police fired into the air, though some workers alleged that two protesters were shot dead and their bodies removed. The police denied the charge.
Speaking on behalf of the National Trade Union Centre, affiliated to the JVP, former JVP MP Lal Kantha alleged that three workers had been seriously wounded at the hands of the police.
The battle erupted in the wake of Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge’s declaration that garment workers would be excluded from the private sector pension scheme due to intervention by politicians and trade unions.
Minister Lokuge made an abortive bid to win over the workers during a hastily arranged visit to Katunayake EPZ, where a section of the workers shouted at him. Some workers went to extent of accusing him of trying to rob them of their hard earned money.
The police said that DIG Wijegoonewardene had been among 15 officers and men attacked by protesters. Sources said that the protesters caused damage to the canteen and four vehicles at the police station.
The police detained over 100 workers.
IGP Mahinda Balasuriya told The Island that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had been directed to launch a special investigation into the latest incident.
Last week, thousands of EPZ workers blocked the road at the 18th Mile Post for over six hours.
A wounded garment worker receiving treatment at the nearby government hospital at Seeduwa told The Island that armed police had stormed some factories at the Katunayake EPZ and brutally attacked workers before taking some of them into custody. The worker said that at least 60 persons had received injury due to what they described as indiscriminate police action.
The JVP yesterday alleged that the Rajapaksa government had directed the police to beat up workers as part of its strategy to silence the working class. An attempt was being made to take over EPF and ETF funds by the government at the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the JVP said. The government had created an explosive situation, a trade union activist told The Island, warning that failure on the part of the administration to settle the dispute amicably could cause chaos in EPZ and other private sector enterprises.
Courtesy: The Island
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JVP must sweep out from this island at any cost..!
No peace till JVP exists here.!
JVP “ponnas” are behind all of the violents in the country. LTTE & JVP are same with bloody tactics.!
Should we tolerate Sinhalese violence, While been refused tamil violent..?!
There’re ways to solve problems as humans but not to let JVP wild animals to mislead people again..!
JVP animals betrayed 1000s of youths to death 2 times. These’re the evidence of that they’ve no value of lives..! Enough is enough.. JVP evils should be Hammered to bring peace…!
Hundreds are injured, including police officers.
Few may be dead or might die due to injuries.
Free Trade Zone was closed.
Factories were damaged.
Police station was damaged.
International investors are worried.
When they (investors) pack their bags and go elsewhere, Sri Lankan workers will loose their jobs, so forget about pension, they will have to hang themselves.
So, further unrest will be created with all this meyham and unemployment.
Beautiful ! It is working !! Maxist JVP leaders are saying sitting in comfortable chairs, sharing a bottle of whisky and dreaming about how to grab political power.
None of them were injured or dead.
Above is real, not fiction.
For many years we suffered enough with LTTE terrorism. For the past 30 years, all the political parties in power were unable to bring peace to our country. With strong determination, courage,and help from all armed forces, our President got rid of LTTE terrorism. Now, we have to support our President and the Government to get rid of JVP. This is the only party that does not support the country for prosperity. No matter what, the Government tries to do the best for the benefit of the people JVP is against. The JVP leaders and party should be banned from our country. The President should have a public opinion poll to give people an oppurtunity to vote whether or not to ban this political party. The day JVP is gone our country will prosper. Please help our President to bring our country to violent free status for people to live in peace and harmony.
Thank You
Forget about the pension scheme. First of all kill the all JVP leaders. Then all problems will be solve.
What an evil party is this JVP..? They’re just “uncivilized wild butchers”….!
What did they do in past 40yrs except misleading workers & youths to die & destroying public properties to hamper the development & peace of this country..?!
“Abet somawansa” will go abroad when he can’t live here. But where to go poor girls working in free zone when they loose jobs…?
If GOSL doesn’t destroy JVP, then we’re people must act to End up these “miserable dogs” of JVP…..!
Why should we let them fool & mislead innocent people…..?
JVP Hathikaree ” Batalandata” dala. Ranilata T56 athata denda onee.
The one liner from Somawansa speaks a million words.
JVP misled the easily aroused simple wrokforce by disinformation on private pension schemes, as if they being robbed of their earnings. This is far from the truth. It is simply savings for them monthly in which the private employers also put aside for them an equal amount monthly, for their pension when they retire. This is practised in all developed countries. We are a developing country. Hence pension schemes for the private sector employees is important. The workforce unfortunately were misled by distortion of the truth by JVP anarchists. The government also partly to blame for not discussing the scheme beforehand with the private sector workers, to educate them on the benefits, and sell the package to them, before enacting laws. As a democratic country the government should have first educated the private sector workers throughout the country of the benefits of a pension scheme for them in which the employer also saves for them a matching amount for their benefit. But JVP won the day by distorting that the govt is trying to rob the poor workforce of their hard earned wages. JVP thrives by creating anarchy and chaos. In a democratic country we have to tolerate these lunatic political organisations so long as they do not turn militant. If they do turn militant then the govt should take the opportunity to feed their ashes also to the fishes. Good riddance!
The primary purpose of the private sector pension scheme is a cash grab by those in power and their lackeys.
In the past years, looting has become a national pastime. Grab everything in sight including prime parcels of land, arms and ammunition to fight the liberation uprisings, commissions on lucrative Government purchases etc, etc; the list is endless.
A bright spark in the blue cabal saw an opportunity to deprive hardworking, exploited and under-privileged workers’ earnings as a cash cow. And there it goes – use the power of parliament to grab a share of their measly earnings.
The Channel 4 TV show on 4th June will demonstrate the cowardice of the rulers. Soon other acts of blatant corruption will be manifested.
Long live the KING.
Does this “Evil Tamil Chelva” knows what means a LIFE..?
If so why did you “jump up” when LTTE blasts buses packed with LIVES.!
& why did you teach 10yrs old children to destroy lives..?
Poo da kalla, onaka enna theriyam..? paandi…!