News
Five to ten workers in every garment factory test positive for Covid-19 daily – activist
By Rathindra Kuruwita
About five to ten workers tested positive for COVID-19 every day at every garment factory, Chamila Thushari of the Dabindu Collective that works on garment factory workers’ rights told The Island yesterday
She said that though garment factories remained open during the lockdown, a significant number of COVID infections had been detected in them.
“Politicians and business leaders insist that garment factories need to remain open to keep the economy going. This is true, we earn a lot of foreign revenue for the country. Recently, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said that the value of textile and garment exports increased by 28% year-on-year to $2.5 billion in January to June 2021. The companies also increased profits in 2020 as well. However, the garment workers are compelled to operate in an unsafe environment,” she said.
Thushari said that during the first wave of COVID-19 the factory owners, for the most part, had followed health guidelines. ” Only 50% of the workforce was brought in. However, since then the situation has changed.
“Disinfection of factory premises is not taking place. Workers are not given surgical masks and they have been forced to wear cloth masks that aren’t very effective. Almost everyone is brought in for work and when they get sick or have to quarantine, the workers are left to their own devices in most instances,” she said.
Five garment workers had died and a large number of them were facing COVID-19 related complications, Thushari said. The labour activist asserted that most of the garment factory workers were under 30 years and therefore had not been vaccinated.
“There is hardly any testing to identify cases as well. Although the factories have made colossal profits the salaries of workers have been reduced. The company owners are gaining but the workers are losing,” she said.
Meanwhile, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island that they were capable of testing all garment workers and issue reports within a few days, if the government gave the green light.
“We have been warning of infection clusters around garment factories for almost a year. We understand that is it necessary to keep these factories open, but the lives of their workers matter more than anything else. From what we hear, a significant number of factories now face labour shortages because most workers have tested COVID-19 positive.”
By Norman Palihawadane
Authorities have launched an investigation into the disappearance of over 70 assault rifles from an undisclosed Army camp.The police confirmed that two of the missing T-56 assault rifles had been recovered.
A 47-year-old Civil Defence Force (CDF) member has been arrested in connection with the incident. Acting on information from the suspect, police recovered a T-56 with 11 rounds of ammunition in Kotawila, Matara, on Friday. The arrest followed an earlier recovery of another T-56 rifle and a grenade in Ruhunuketha, Welikanda, which the suspect was allegedly attempting to sell.
Investigations have revealed that the suspect had sold one more T-56, with ammunition, for Rs. 200,000. The CDF member’s arrest came after a person, detained by the Wellampitiya Police with a pistol, confessed to purchasing the weapon from him, providing contact details that led to his arrest.
The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) obtained a 90-day detention order for further questioning of the suspect.
Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya confirmed to The Island that details of the Army camp and officers involved were being withheld for now.
Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manatunga said that the CCD and CID were conducting parallel investigations into the case.
Further updates on the missing firearms and their potential links to crimes are expected as the investigation progresses, SSP Manatunga told The Island.
More than 35 people were hospitalised following a head-on collision between two privately-owned buses in Matara yesterday morning.Six persons sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Matara Hospital, police added.
Police Spokesman SSP K.B. Manathunga said that there was a rising number of road accidents involving privately-owned buses in recent times. In response, police have intensified legal actions against passenger bus drivers who violate traffic regulations.
SSP Manathunga announced on Saturday that the government has approved the recruitment of an additional 10,000 police officers. This move aims to strengthen efforts in preventing road accidents, as well as supporting broader anti-crime and anti-drug operations.
Investigations into the cause of the collision are ongoing, SSP Manatunga said. (RK)
Text and Pic by Dinasena Rathugamage
A 25-year-old elephant that had been struggling in pain and hunger for 14 days due to suspected severe gunshot injuries died on Saturday near the Iranamadukulam tank in Kilinochchi.
Villagers who noticed the injured elephant informed Wildlife officers about its condition. Although a team of officials rushed to the location and attempted to treat the elephant, its condition was critical due to severe injuries and its extreme weakness, making recovery impossible.
Wildlife officers said that the elephant was about 25 years of age and they suspected that the elephant’s injuries had been caused by a gunshot. A post-mortem examination is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death. The Kilinochchi Police and Wildlife officials have launched an investigation into the death of the elephant.
Rainy condition is expected to continue further in Northern, North-central, Eastern,Uva and Central provinces
Israel says 90 Palestinian prisoners freed after Hamas releases three hostages in Gaza
Over 70 assault rifles reported missing from undisclosed Army camp
-
News6 days agoSri Lanka’s passport third strongest in South Asia
-
Features6 days agoBackstreet Boys’ Nick Carter to perform in Colombo!
-
News5 days agoFSP warns of Indian designs to swamp Sri Lanka
-
News4 days agoLatest tax hike yields Rs. 7 bn profit windfall for tobacco companies
-
News6 days agoElectricity regulator contradicts Minister; tariff reduction certain
-
News6 days agoIndian HC launches ‘Buddham Saranam Gacchami’: A mobile exhibition series harmonizing modernity with tradition
-
Features4 days agoMyth of Free Education: A global perspective for Sri Lanka
-
News6 days agoSri Lanka caught up in anti-Russia propaganda project controversy