He belonged to that era of trade unionists who rose above party politics

Batty Weerakoon who passed away recently performed many roles during his lifetime. He was a lawyer, trade union leader, leader of the Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Member of Parliament and had held two ministerial posts, first as the Minister of Science and Technology and then as the Minister of Justice. He was a well-known and respected trade union leader when trade unions performed a meaningful role in industrial relations in the country and were blessed with strong, committed leaders who were role models to their members and knew how to deal productively with employers. His integrity was evident in all the roles he performed.

My relations with Mr. Weerakoon were initially in his capacity as the leader of a trade union, a relationship which over time developed into a more personal one. As a member of the professional staff of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon I was privileged to have dealt with Mr. Weerakoon from the 1960s until my departure abroad at the end of 1989. As in the case of three other notable trade union leaders of that time – Messrs. L. W. Panditha, N. Shanmuganathan and Bala Tampoe – Mr. Weerakoon’s union was affiliated to a leading political party. He, like the others mentioned, was able to rise above party politics and address issues on behalf of workers based on labour relations principles and worked with the aim of serving the interests of his members and not for the purpose of achieving political objectives.

One of Mr. Weerakoon’s admirable traits was his extreme trustworthiness which accounted for the fact that he and I were able to agree on several matters on the telephone, without having to ask each other to reduce our discussions and decisions to writing. He always stood by such agreements during subsequent negotiations. ‘Batty’ was a gentleman with strong values.

Mr. Weerakoon’s approach to dispute resolution was based on his belief that issues are best resolved through principled negotiation, not a war of attrition. He realized that the centre of gravity of human relations in the world of work was the workplace rather than at the macro level. He believed that the outcome of dispute resolution should to the extent possible, not sour relations between the management and its staff. His ethical principles in the conduct of cases before the labour courts when we appeared against each other were embedded in his value system which we at the Federation respected.

His disciplined, ethical and rational approach and dedication to his responsibilities were admired and appreciated also by several companies. In these ways he contributed to maintaining industrial peace and ensuring better relations between the management and the labour force.

Batty came from an era when trade unionists like him, rather than following the dictates of politicians, were able to influence their thinking.