Dear Friends,
Please find below an appeal for action in the case of luggage manufacturer Fine Lanka, in Sri Lanka. This appeal was put together by TIE-Asia, for more information on the case, please contact them at: <tieasia@sri.lanka.net>

URGENT APPEAL

6th September 1999

Fine Lanka Luggage (Pvt) Ltd is a transnational company with, according to available information headquarters in both South Korea and America producing luggage. In Sri Lanka the company is located in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, it employs 1,100 workers, 85% are women.

On Saturday 4th September all 1,100 workers were locked out of the factory, with the factory now closed until further notice. The closure followed a token one day strike (the first strike by all workers of a company, inside the Free Trade Zone) by workers who the day before protested over the dismissal of the President and another member of the Workers Council. The dismissal of both these workers activists are on trumped up charges, with no inquiry being conducted or activists being given a right of response. Management is trying to introduce a new incentive scheme into the factory, we believe that they are trying to eliminate those workers who organise and represent workers before introducing this scheme.

Background

• There was a strike by 11 workers of the mechanics section over their increments. Management warned the mechanics and deducted their pay. The mechanics challenged this warning. A discussion with Management, the Board of Investment (BOI) and The President of the workers Council and another worker occurred.
• Following this meeting the President was issued with a charge sheet. Alleging that he had gone to another section, had a meeting with the workers of that section about the mechanics, without permission and that he had disturbed production. What happened was that the electricity had gone off and workers were gathered outside, they saw the President and asked about the situation with the mechanics. Management did not accept this explanation and he was dismissed. A further trumped up charge was added that the President threatened to harm a Supervisor. This is false and further he was not given an opportunity to respond to this charge.
• Charges were also laid against the other worker who attended the meeting. These were that he attended the meeting regarding the mechanics without permission and that he talked to workers without permission, disrupting production. He has also been dismissed without an inquiry.
• All workers signed a letter demanding that the President and other worker be reinstated and that Management refrain from taking further action against them or any other workers. Management ignored the letter.
• Another member of the Workers Council was issued also issued with a charge sheet for talking to other workers without permission and disrupting production. This is the same charge as the other two workers. However, she was not dismissed.
• On 31st August all (but six) workers wore white to work as a protest action. The next day they held a picket outside the gates of the factory before work for 45 minutes. Again Management ignored the workers demands.
• On 1st September the second Workers Council member was dismissed without an inquiry.
• On 3rd September workers stage a one day token strike. The next day they were locked out of the factory. The factory has now been closed until further notice. Neither the BOI nor Management will negotiate with the workers.
• All workers have been issued with notices saying that they have been suspended for participating in an illegal token strike. Workers are expecting more workers to be dismissed.

We believe that this is a well planned attempt by management to smash worker organisation within the factory, enabling a new incentive scheme to be introduced without discussion. Prior to the dispute management had started sub contracting work out to other factories within Sri Lanka. While formation of unions inside the FTZ is not against the law in Sri Lanka the reality is that unions are prevented by forming through an agreement reached by the BOI, Government and Foreign Investors. Any attempts by workers to organise raise their grievances and form unions are met with repression from the BOI, Government and Investors.

The workers demands are:

• End the lock out;
• To reinstate the dismissed workers without any conditions;
• No victimisation or intimidation of any worker;
• Recognise the workers right to organise and workers organisation;
• Once the above three demands are met, to then negotiate on the implementation of the new incentive scheme.

Please send letters of protest to:

Sri Lanka
The Managing Director
Fine Lanka Luggage (Pvt) Ltd
Export Processing Zone
Katunayake
Sri Lanka

Telephone
+94 1 252 681/2
Fax
+ 94 1 252 680

South Korea
The Managing Director
Fine Corporation
CPO Box 6826
Seoul
Korea

Telephone
+ 82 2 695-1134 or 1135

Fax
+ 82 2 695-1137

Asking Management to end the lockout and meet the workers demands.

Her Excellency
The President of the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 1 446 657

The Honorable Minister of Labour
Labour Ministry Labour Secretariat
Colombo 5
Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 1 582 938

Ask the President and Minister of Labour to intervene to settle the dispute.

Remember to send copies of your letter to e-mail tieasia@sri.lanka.net,
fax +94 74 617 711 or by post to 141 Ananda Rajakaruna Mw, Col 10, Sri Lanka

Financial Support

At this stage it is unlikely that workers will receive their pay due on the 10th of September. Workers need this to pay their boarding house fees and to continue with their struggle. Workers are actively fundraising, however more is needed. Donations can be made to the Joint Association Account, details are as follows;

Account name: Joint Association
Account Number: 430 1019
Bank: Hatton National Bank, Ja Ela Branch
Account type: Savings.

Please let us know if you donate money into the account and we will send you a receipt.

The Company produces luggage under the following labels:

Travel Gear - Presidential (line)
- Colours (line)
Forecast Mendocino Collection
Jeep travel Equipment
Metropolis
Atlantic
Atlantic - Destiny (line)
Protocol - Sport P Tech (line)
High Seirra
Charter Club Luggage
- Signature Series (line)

If anyone has additional information on the structure of this Company and where else they have factories we would be grateful if you could forward this information to us.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

In Solidarity,

Anton Marcus
Kelly Dent
Padmini Weerasuriya