UnionAID

Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union

(FTZ & GSEU)

Sri Lanka

The Free Trade Zones and General Service Employees Union (FTZ & GSEU) represents worker in Sri Lanka’s garment and manufacturing sectors that were hard hit by the pandemic.  All staff were required to stay home for a month, and many came back to reduced hours, wages or no job at all. 

The FTZ & GSEU took on the huge job of representing workers illegally terminated from their job or owed their full wages for work done.  The union took action in relation to 42 cases, winning back pay or reinstatement for thousands of workers. The union’s advocacy saved 500 jobs for workers at an Esquel owned factory as well as the reinstatement of their end of year bonus, meaning an extra $175 for 700 garment workers.

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UnionAID supports democratic, worker-led organisations that help empower working people to improve their work and livelihoods through collective action.

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