TUs flex muscles over GSP+
Trade unions, unhappy like many other groups that backed the government and President Maithripala Sirisena into office, are flexing their muscles over Sri Lanka’s application for the resumption of GSP + concessions, demanding that the country complies with ILO conventions prior to concessions being given.
Local unions led by the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees' Union (FTZ&GSEU) have joined an international trade union call for the intervention of the European Union in the formulation of this strategy.
“The Clean Clothes Campaign, IndustriALL Global Union and the International Trade Union Confederation … urge the European Union to adopt a roadmap with time- bound measures to comply with the ILO core conventions before benefitting from GSP+. There is simply no credible argument that Sri Lanka is not currently in serious breach of those conventions,” states a letter by Clean Clothes Campaign, IndustriALL Global Union and International Trade Union Confederat i o n , reflecting on the joint Sri Lanka position on this issue.
FTZ&GSEU Convener and General Secretary Anton Marcus, who sent a copy of the letter to the Business Times, said they were disappointed with the attitude of the government towards worker rights and expressed concerns that the hand-over of the administration, and formation of new free trade zones, to India, China and Singapore would pave the way for hire-and-fire policies of the workforce. “We are disappointed the ways things are going,” Mr. Marcus noted.
The letter said that on June 12, 2016, Sri Lanka applied for inclusion on the list of eligible beneficiary developing countries for GSP+), which provides enhanced market access “on the basis that the applicant is not in serious violation of a number of human rights instruments, including the ILO core labour conventions”.
It said GSP+ preferences to Sri Lanka was suspended in February 2010, following a lengthy investigation, due to serious breaches in the application of three UN human rights instruments – the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Covenant on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention against Torture.
“While the GSP preferences were not withdrawn over
Fourteen trade unions, all members of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), have urged Labour Minister John Seneviratne to remove the Katunayake Free Trade Zone Manufacturing Association (FTZMA) from the tripartite body. The NLAC brings together the government, employers and employees.
The group, in a joint letter, said there was enough evidence to show that the association and in particular FTZMA President Fazal Abdeen have violated the principles “contained in the policy statement of the Board of Investment mentioned in its Manual on Labour Standards & Industrial Relations”.
The unions list a series of vio- labour violations, the Clean Clothes Campaign, IndustriALL Global Union and the International Trade Union Confederation believe that serious violations of the ICCPR and the core ILO Conventions must be addressed prior to reinstatement of trade preferences. These include violations to the right to freedom of association, gender- based discrimination and sexual harassment and unsafe work places,” it said.
On general labour rights lations of trade union rights of workers and said the association was violating the basic principles of the NLAC in working towards ensuring ‘Decent Work’ and labour rights.
When the Business Times tried to contact Mr. Abdeen, his secretary said the chairman was busy and directed the paper to Dhammika Fernando, former chairman of the association.
Mr. Fernando, who told the Business Times he was speaking on behalf of Mr. Abdeen and the association, denied that the FTZMA had violated the principles of the NLAC and said the Labour Ministry is free to conduct any investigation into allegations against Mr. Abdeen, his company or the association. issues, the letter said that in practice, the labour law is not regularly enforced, and the situation is even worse in the country’s several export processing zones.
It raised specific issues over a period of the past few years with the latest being claims of unfair labour practices at Polytex Garment Ltd which the led to the suspension of 38 union members. Also referred to was the June 2016 alleged dismissal of two unionists at a Hirdaramani factory.