Estate workers down tools to protest misuse of tsunami funds

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 11:54 GMT]
Around 500 workers of the Doleswala Estate in the Ratnapura District are on strike since last Thursday protesting against the refusal of the Estate management to refund moneys contributed by them from their wages in aid of Tsunami victims, Ratnapura District Doleswela Estate sources said.

The workers of Doleswala estate had made credit purchases of relief items with the approval of the Estate Management which promised to refund of their contributions.

The Management has since refused to refund their contributions, said the leader of the Estate Committee. The Management claims that the relief items were purchased by workers and that therefore there is no question of refunding the money to the workers.

The workers have vowed to continue the strike until the issue is resolved, especially because the workers are unable to pay the creditors.

Workers also claim that Estate Management has distributed the collected relief to people who were not affected by the Tsunami disaster.