Business
Kenyan tea pickers’ Scottish compensation case on hold
Appeal judges have halted a compensation case brought by Kenyan tea pickers against their employer in Scotland’s highest civil court.
James Finlay Kenya Ltd (JFK) is fighting the multi-million pound damages claim at the Court of Session.
In a major setback to their case, the workers have been told they should seek redress in Kenya before the Scottish action can go any further. Their lawyers say 3,700 Kenyans are now involved. They are considering an appeal to the UK Supreme Court.
Aberdeen-registered JFK is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of tea. When the action began, it was part of a multi-national operation which can trace its roots back to a company founded in 1750 by Glasgow textile merchant James Finlay.
The workers claim they suffered musculoskeletal injuries because of working conditions on tea farms in the Kenya’s Kericho region. They launched what is known in the Scottish legal system as group proceedings, a class action lawsuit seeking compensation.
Throughout the action, JFK has argued it has no connection to Scotland, other than its registered historical address, and that the claims should be dealt with in Kenya.
Earlier this year Court of Session judge Lord Weir ruled that the case should be allowed to proceed in Scotland. That was challenged by JFK’s lawyers in the Inner House of the Court of Session, the country’s highest civil appeal court. The Inner House has now ruled that the cause should be “sisted,” meaning it’s been stopped from going any further for now.
The three judges concluded that the workers could not show at this stage whether or not they could get redress through Kenya’s Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA), a no-fault compensation scheme. They also ruled that the Kenyan workers had the right to appeal to the country’s Employment and Labour Relations Court.
In a written judgement, Lord Carloway, who sat with Lords Pentland and Lord Doherty, said if they were presented with evidence that WIBA was not giving the workers justice, the Scottish case could be allowed to resume.
Solicitor Patrick McGuire, who’s representing the tea workers involved in the case, said he was surprised and disappointed by the judgement. “We are now actively considering whether to appeal to the UK Supreme Court,” he said. “We’re also considering how, if at all, we can encourage 3,700 claimants to try to progress their claims through WIBA, which we think would be a feat of impossibility.”
Mr McGuire said the case which had been sisted involved 2,700 workers. Another 1,000 are taking part in an associated case which was brought to a temporary halt by the courts in Kenya.
The tea pickers have claimed they were routinely asked to work up to 12 hours a day without a break, for six days a week, earning in 2017 an average monthly wage of £100. The court also heard evidence that pickers had to harvest a minimum of 30kg (4st 10lb) of tea to be paid anything at all.
The workers asked for compensation from the business, claiming their bosses did not do enough to prevent them from suffering debilitating workplace injuries.
At a hearing in March, JFK’s managing director Simeon Hutchinson suggested the workers may have damaged their backs while carrying water as children. Mr Hutchinson argued that a UK-based court would have difficulty comprehending how people live their lives in the African country and Kenyan workers could struggle to understand lawyers’ Scottish accents.
He told the court: “Before WIBA, when ambulance chasing was rife in Kenya, lawyers had an incentive to look for injury cases because they could make a lot of money. “Once WIBA was brought into law, those practices have been brought to an end.”
A spokesperson for JFK welcomed the judgement from the Inner House. “The safety and welfare of everyone connected with our business is always our number one priority,” they said. “We believe that the proper place to address allegations brought by Kenyan citizens regarding their employment in Kenya is in the Kenyan Courts.”
(BBC)
Business
SIA warns of 1,000 SME collapses, urges fair policies to protect Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector
By Sanath Nanayakkare
The Solar Industries Association (SIA), representing over 1,000 companies and employing 40,000 workers in Sri Lanka’s rooftop solar sector, issued a stern warning recently regarding threats to the industry’s survival and the nation’s renewable energy ambitions. The association condemned recent regulatory instability and called for urgent policy reforms to avert economic and social crises.
The SIA categorically rejected the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) claim that rooftop solar installations caused the recent island-wide power outage, calling the accusation “baseless and misleading.”
“Public trust is eroded when accountability is misdirected,” the SIA stated. “We demand an independent, transparent investigation led by experts appointed by the Ministry or the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL). The CEB’s unilateral statements disregard the sector’s contributions and jeopardize Sri Lanka’s renewable energy transition,” they said.
“While acknowledging the formation of a tariff determination committee, the SIA criticized its narrow focus on financial parameters, ignoring the sector’s socioeconomic value. Rooftop solar empowers businesses and households with energy independence, reduces grid strain, and supports climate goals. However, proposed volatile tariff structures risk destabilizing over 100,000 installations—primarily owned by middle-class families—and deter future investment,” they noted.
“A rigid, equation-based tariff system is unsustainable,” the association warned. “Sri Lanka needs a stable policy framework to attract long-term investments. For instance, retirees could invest EPF savings into solar projects, securing income while advancing national energy targets. Without urgent action, 1,000 SMEs and 40,000 jobs face collapse, with dire consequences for employment, energy security, and economic stability,” they pointed out.
SIA urged policymakers to establish an independent committee to investigate the power outage fairly, expand the tariff committee’s mandate to include socioeconomic and environmental benefits and implement predictable policies to safeguard SMEs, households, and investor confidence.
“Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads,” the SIA emphasized. “Protecting rooftop solar isn’t just about energy—it’s about livelihoods, economic resilience, and a sustainable future. We urge stakeholders to collaborate on solutions that prioritize both people and progress,: they emphasized.
SLT-MOBITEL has entered into a strategic partnership with Rush Lanka Group to provide exclusive SLT-MOBITEL Fibre connectivity solutions to their portfolio of luxury apartment developments in Colombo and the suburbs, enhancing the digital experience of all residents.
The agreement was signed between Imantha Wijekoon, Chief Business Officer of Consumer Business at SLT, and Zaid Ariff, Director of Construction at the Rush Group headquarters. Representatives from both companies also attended the ceremony.
Under the partnership, SLT-MOBITEL will serve as the exclusive digital service provider for five prestigious Rush Lanka developments including Street Rush Residencies and Rush Court 4 in Mt. Lavinia, Rush Tower 2, Rush Metropolis in Dehiwala, and Rush Court 5 in Colombo 14. The collaboration ensures residents will enjoy superior fibre connectivity speeds, enabling seamless digital experiences in modern smart homes. The partnership with the Rush Lanka Group aligns with SLT-MOBITEL’s commitment to offer ultra-fast, reliable connectivity solutions to residential developments. Delivering exclusive fibre connectivity to luxury apartments, SLT-MOBITEL ensures residents have access to world-class digital services that complement the living experience promised by Rush Lanka Group.
Powered by advanced fibre technology, SLT-MOBITEL network will provide the residences with seamless performance across digital activities. The SLT-MOBITEL Fibre backbone ensures lag-free experiences whether tenants are gaming online, attending virtual classes, working remotely, or streaming high-definition entertainment. SLT-MOBITEL Fibre will transform the lifestyles of all apartment users bringing greater convenience and superior quality of life.
Rush Lanka Group, established in 1992, is a property developer specializing in luxury and semi-luxury apartments.
Starting its promotional work for 2025, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) added another feather into its cap of endorsements, by being recognized as the most innovative Tourism Board promotion in Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) . In parallel to that, several other sub events were held. The OTM was held in Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai—India, from 30th January to 01st February 2025.Before OTM, the Global Village – Global Exchange & Trade Exhibition was held at the Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre , Sarsana, Surat (Gujarat – India , from 25th to 27th January 2025. This travel fair was organized by Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).
Sri Lanka participated in both OTM and South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE), held from 19th – 21st Feb 2025, in New Delhi, India . This was an excellent opportunity for Sri Lanka to promote it’s potential as a unique travel destination, especially for the Indian counterparts, as SLTPB has identified India as the number one source market for Sri Lanka, tourism bringing the largest number of tourist arrivals to the destination.
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