Trade unionists face intimidation in Sri Lanka

Intimidation of trade unionists escalated during February after union leaders protested the abduction early that month of three workers involved with railway workers' union newspaper Akuna. One of the three was Sisira Priyankara, the paper's editor, who had been involved in lodging complaints by unionists to the courts against salary hikes for senior government figures. Following the protests, the government announced that the three unionists were in custody and were being interrogated over suspicions of links with insurgents. Since then, posters targeting union leaders who protested the abductions have appeared in public places across the country, branding them terrorists and calling for their arrests. The International Trade Union Confederation is demanding an end to the harassment of and attacks on unionists. For more information visit < http://www.ituc-A HREF="mailto:csi.org"><csi.org>.

From GLW issue 701