Councilors of CWC have carried out attacks and threats against estate employees who leave their trade union.
The Councilor of Haldummulla Pradeshiya Sabha Ashok Kumar and the Member of the Uva Provincial Council Senthil Thondaman have assaulted workers of Poonagala Estate. The attack had been due to the workers leaving CWC and joining All Ceylon Estate Workers Union.
A complaint (C/104/68) against the assaults has been lodged at the Bandarawela Police on 6th June. However, Bandarawela Police, without inquiring into the complaint by the workers, have arrested and remanded workers on a complaint lodged on 8th June by the CWC states the President of All Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union Ramalingam Chandrasekar.
He further stated that workers of Yuri Estate have been sent letters threatening them. The letters were sent using letter heads of Sri Lanka Independent Workers’ Union (Estate Section).
In the letters the workers have been warned to be prepared to be taken by ‘white vans’ if they leave the union.