TUs raise alarm over COVID-19 concerns in Lankan workplaces
Sri Lankan workplaces, in key sectors of the economy, have become high risk areas vis-a-vis COVID-19 with large numbers working together where some outdated guidelines are violated and where workers are unlikely to be safe.
“Based on our experience although tourists are in a bio bubble they do not wear a mask,” Hotel Workers Centre trade union General Secretary Janaka Adhikari said. He pointed out that last month during the stay of a visiting cricket team at a leading hotel about 40 of their staff became positive.
The guidelines issued by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) are not adhered to according to the employees of the hotels, Mr. Adhikari said, adding that they were not against tourists coming into the country “on the contrary we want them to be more concerned about the workers”.
At least the vaccination should be given to these workers but this is not carried out either. Moreover, the authorities always blame workers for contracting COVID-19 from outside and not from within their workplaces, he noted.
First contacts are not isolated today and if workers are unable to report to work due to COVID-19 then their pay is also deducted and they lose attendance allowance as a result, he said.
Mr. Adhikari stated that their fervent request is that at least the existing guidelines should continue to be adhered to and priority given to the vaccination drive for the staff and ensure that the limitations within the bio bubble be discussed.
JVP port trade union General Secretary Niroshan Gorakanage said workers are not subjected to PCR and Antigen testing at the Colombo Port where testing is ad hoc. This is now being carried out only if someone is detected with COVID-19 symptoms, he said.
The trade union activist also pointed out that since April the guidelines have not changed and this has resulted in no proper system being implemented in combatting the spread of the virus at the port.
In one instance he explained one worker was detected with COVID-19 since he was able to get a test carried out outside the port. But other workers who had worked with him were not subject to tests at the port and when these workers refused to go home and stayed overnight at the premises they were compelled to pay for a test and as a result out of a group of 20 workers it was found that 14 were positive.
FTZ General Workers Trade Union General Secretary Anton Marcus explained that following similar issues at the apparel factories they have now teamed up with the trade unions in Bangladesh and several other civil society groups to demand that workers are adequately taken care of at their respective workplaces.
They also hope to engage the international brands and buyers and other financial institutions to pressurise the manufacturers into ensuring that workers are looked after better and working standards improve under the pandemic situation, he said.