The Ceylon Workers Red Flag Union holds a Workers’ Tribunal in Colombo to highlight and address the violations of labour rights faced by tea and rubber plantation workers. This Tribunal, featuring testimonies from workers before a panel of eminent judges from Sri Lanka and the region, is part of a broader effort to protect workers' rights and dignity.

Since 1998, a practice of signing Collective Agreements between plantation workers’ trade unions and the Employers Federation of Ceylon has been in place. These agreements, particularly the one signed in 2003, have been crucial in safeguarding labour rights, working conditions, and wages for tea and rubber estate workers. However, these wages have remained below a living wage despite nominal increases.

In 2018, workers mobilized to demand an increase in basic wages to Rs. 1000, but companies refused. Consequently, the Wages Board raised the daily wage to Rs. 1000. However, no new Collective Agreement has been signed since the last one lapsed in 2019. Without this agreement, unions struggle to hold employers accountable and mobilize workers. Previously effective mechanisms, such as meetings with estate management to discuss workers' conditions, have become protracted and less accessible.

The absence of a Collective Agreement has led to increased exploitation, such as raising the tea plucking norm from 16-18 kg to 20 kg per day, with unjust deductions for basket weights despite workers using almost weightless bags. These challenges mean workers often do not receive the stipulated Rs. 1000 daily wage.

In response, unions has been filing cases to challenge these violations. Although some individual cases have seen positive outcomes, there has been no comprehensive resolution from the government or labour bodies. The upcoming Workers’ Tribunal aims to further this fight for justice, bringing together a panel of judges to hear workers' testimonies and deliver recommendations to address these ongoing issues.