On 25 November, representatives of IndustriALL Global Union’s Sri Lanka affiliates, along with IndustriALL’s Regional Secretary Sudhershan Rao Sarde and project coordinator, Shahnaz Rafique, addressed the striking workers of Ansell Lanka, near the gate of Ansell Lanka, Biyagama EPZ.
Anton Marcus, president of the FTZ&GSEU and member of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee, reiterated the demands of the union to immediately reinstate eleven branch union office bearers and the withdrawal of all fabricated charges against them.
Sudhershan Rao Sarde, the regional secretary delivered a solidarity message stating that IndustriALL supports the just and legitimate struggle of the Ansell Lanka Workers union.
Shahnaz Rafique said the the many women at the forefront of the struggle was impressive, and she appealed to them to sustain the strike.
IndustriALL strongly supports the strike and has among other initiatives created a strike fund. The strike will be on the agenda at the meeting of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee in Geneva on 4-5 December.
Jyrki Raina, general secretary of IndustriALL, says:
“Our 50 million members stand behind the struggle of the Ansell Lanka workers. We want to see them succeed; management at Ansell needs to resolve this issue immediately.”