The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) has condemned the alleged recent behaviour exhibited by Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman at the Pedro Estate, Nuwara Eliya.
Issuing a statement in this regard, the PA alleged: “On 30 May, Thondaman and his associates forced the reinstatement of three Kelani Valley Plantations PLC (KVPL) workers who had been suspended upon complaints that they had assaulted a fellow employee and threatened arson against company equipment, unless work was halted on ground preparation for the planting of coffee to replace unproductive tea. The workers were subsequently suspended pending a disciplinary inquiry and a Police complaint was lodged.
“This resulted in strike action being called by the Ceylon Workers’ Congress. Efforts to resolve the matter through a meeting called by the Assistant Commissioner of Labour proved futile, with the unions refusing to await a decision post-domestic inquiry. Thondaman incited multiple actions, including attempting to use a large, intoxicated and unruly gang to intimidate and assault the KVPL management following a meeting with the Nuwara Eliya Assistant Commissioner of Labour, and obstructing them from leaving the area until the Police intervened and provided them with an escort for their safety.
“Subsequently, Thonadaman and his associates forcibly trespassed into the Pedro Estate, blockaded it, and detained the Chief Executive Officer of that company and his team against their will for four hours within the factory premises. Surrounded by a drunk and unruly mob, they were subject to prolonged threats of bodily harm and arson if they did not accept Thondaman’s demands to immediately reinstate the three workers in question, and offer them work the very next day.
“Thondaman and his associates have been caught on video illegally trespassing on KVPL property, disrupting work, screaming and verbally assaulting KVPL workers to drive them out of their workplaces, and demanding impunity for his actions, screaming threats that: ‘estates will burn’ if any legal action was taken against him by the Police who were present and helpless to intervene. The KVPL management agreed to Thondaman’s demands to reinstate the suspended workers.
“A senior management representative of the KVPL had to be hospitalised as a result of the extreme stress that he had been placed under due to the threats and intimidation tactics which he experienced. The directions to remove items such as the red pottu of female factory workers are necessary to ensure compliance with the International Organisation for Standardisation regulations regarding foreign matter contamination. Compliance is not optional, as it is a requirement of international buyers. This is a matter beyond the control of the regional plantation companies.”
Therefore, the PA urged the Government and the Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this incident.