"Sri Lanka supplier seeks probe after ‘inaccurate’ claims of staff attacks", 19th February 2024

[...] Sumithra Hasalaka (Pvt) Limited, which is part of the Sumithra Group explained “unfair and inaccurate allegations” have been made against the Sri Lanka garment supplier and its management after IndustriAll claimed union members in its Hasalaka factory were physically attacked and forcefully prevented from attending a union meeting on 9 February.

[...] The global union went on to suggest that responding to management’s act of repression, workers who attended the meeting decided to go on a strike. Refusing to accept the strike notice, management tried to force workers to resign from the union.

[...] IndustriAll claimed: “When workers arrived at the factory in the morning on 10 February, management physically assaulted some of them, including the branch union office bearers, severely injuring one woman worker, while forcefully taking them inside the factory to make them sign resignation letters. Union members were forced to file a police complaint.”

[...]

The supplier also explained the incident and those that followed are being fully investigated at present and law enforcement authorities of Sri Lanka have been duly informed to carry out their own independent investigations as well, by gathering all available video footage.

It noted: “Our company has a zero-tolerance policy for violence of any sort and should any executive or employee have been engaged in any violent, acts you can rest assured he/she will be duly dealt with in accordance with the disciplinary procedure of the company.”

A Superdry spokesperson told Just Style: “We are aware of the current issue at the Hasalaka factory in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and are working closely with everyone involved to resolve the situation as swiftly as possible.”

Asda and Dillard’s had not responded to Just Style’s request for comment at the time of going to press.