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Workers in a Sri Lankan garment factory do a final quality inspection on underwear before they are packaged for export. Photo: Martin Wurt/OxfamAUS.

Forging the ties that bind

Trade unions and activist organisations in Sri Lanka have traditionally considered one another competitors for limited funds. Recently, however, the two groups have come together to fight for fairer conditions for workers.

Times are tough for workers in Sri Lanka’s garment factories.

Not only have they endured decades of poor working conditions such as low wages, long hours, compulsory overtime, bullying and sexual harassment, but now their very jobs are under threat.

The Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA), which for decades has given Sri Lanka’s ready-made garment manufacturers preferential access to the European and United States markets, was phased out at the end of 2004, raising fears of massive job losses and factory closures. Already, over the past two years, around 50 garment factories have closed and some 10,000 workers been retrenched — most without any form of severance pay or compensation.

But with Oxfam’s support and guidance, a unique coalition known as the Apparel-industry Labour Rights Movement (ALaRM), is working hard to protect and improve the rights of Sri Lanka’s 275,000 garment industry workers — around 85% of whom are women.

The group comprises six garment industry trade unions and four non-government organisations, which are working together to minimise the effects of the MFA phase-out, develop a basic living wage, improve the working and living conditions of garment workers and enable workers to be free to belong to a trade union.

Although formed only a little over three years ago, the group has already established itself as an effective and credible voice for garment workers in Sri Lanka, enjoying a profile on par with other industry bodies.

ALaRM’s key activities involve campaigning, training and awareness-raising programs. It has trained a new generation of trade union leaders and activists, held boarding house discussions and training programs with women workers, staged media conferences on the MFA phase-out and basic living wage, and organised workers in rural areas for the first time.

The group was instrumental in getting the International Labour Organisation to convene a high-powered MFA taskforce comprising employer and worker representatives, trade unions and government authorities, to find a way to minimise the impact of job losses.

ALaRM has also worked with the Sri Lankan Department of Labour to carry out an island-wide survey on garment factories and conducted research with more than 800 workers to introduce the concept of a sector-specific living wage, which takes into consideration the hidden costs that women workers incur. This living wage figure will provide a sound, technical basis upon which future wage negotiations and campaigns can be built.

But there are many challenges ahead — even some coming from the very workers ALaRM is trying to help.

“Workers have a very short target — they are coming to the factory only for five years — they just want to come for as short a time as possible...earn as much money as possible...for their wedding dowry and go. Some of them are not interested in workers’ rights or unions,” ALaRM member Britto Fernando explains.

“It is not easy. But we are still sitting together; we are still trying to do something.”

Story by Oxfam Australia volunteer Sankaran Kasynathan and Editor Maureen Bathgate.