A fresh controversy is brewing over the involvement of a Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna affiliated trade union to defend a private sector employee who has been dismissed for sexually abusing a 23-year-old male co-worker.
Wasantha
The trade union, on Friday, launched a strike at South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) Private Limited demanding the reinstatement of the employee who was dismissed for sexually harassing the young employee.
It has been reported that the Harbour police has discouraged the victim from lodging a Police complaint about the incident and advised him to resolve the problem with the predator on “friendly terms.”
The victim, as his next resort, has complained to the management of the company about the sexual harassment. The company had entrusted a third party inquiry officer to probe the matter and upon his findings, had dismissed the predator.
It is against this backdrop that the JVP affiliated trade union at SAGT launched a strike demanding the reinstatement of the dismissed employee. Colombo Telegraph learns that the union operates under former Parliamentarian Wasantha Samarasinghe who was also a member of the North Central Provincial Council.
“After the internal inquiry, action was taken and there was industrial action arising from it. There was a third party inquiry and the perpetrator was disciplined. The victim has been reallocated,” SAGT Private Limited CEO Romesh David has told Groundviews.
However, fresh questions have also emerged over the manner in which the private company handled the issue. As sexual harassment is a criminal offence, the company should have referred the matter to the police in an official capacity, a source familiar with the incident told Colombo Telegraph. “Brushing it under the carpet after an internal inquiry is an attempt to cover up the incident,” the source added.
Spring Koha / February 16, 2019
Is this for real?
…..’It has been reported that the Harbour police has discouraged the victim of lodging a Police complaint about the incident and advised him to resolve the problem with the predator on “friendly terms.”………’
Are they recommending a sort of ‘sorry for fucking with you, so let bygones be bygones’?
So very Sri Lankan!
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Analyst / February 17, 2019
Sorry on a different note,
PM has advised the Northerners that there’s no forwardness in allowing the wound to fester, It means no cure, just fixing with sticking Plaster ?? Povertyold it improve the battered people of North and the South?What about you and the Majority Sir? Is the Sticking Paster is the Festering Wound??
Think what you and the nation can do for the ailing economy in the North?
There are thousands of war widows and girls selling their souls to the Soldiers and their cohorts in return for a scrap of food . Do you forgive and help the healing wounds??
Start first in healing wounds before your lecture sir.
That lecture should be made to the HARD CORE RACISTS TOO IN THE SOUTH.
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Don Stanley / February 17, 2019
The identity politics game to sink the JVP and stop the protests against Mangy sacking Mrs, Charles by Port TUs. Mrs. Charles was sacked to enable US military equipment to enter Sri Lanka without customs oversight. This is the game.
The Human Rights Endgame in Sri Lanka is US military bases in Sri Lanka.
This is the Trumpland strategy – when the PCOI Report on the Bondscam came out and there were calls for Bondscam Ranil’s impeachment, attacks on Muslims were unleashed to Distract everyone from US puppet RW’s financial crimes.Using gender issues and weaponizing religious and ethnic identity politics is the game to distract, divide and rule by Trumpland..
Mrs. Charles was sacked to enable US military equipment to enter Sri Lanka without customs oversight. This is the game.
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Samson Gunawardhana / February 17, 2019
JVP should be very clear that there are sinister forces behind them right at this critical juncture of lanken politics.
:
We cant really understand the way how JVPrs painted the BOND SCAM issue only in favour of Rajapakshes, notwithstanding their anethema to Rajapakshes regime. May well be their anathema to UNP is even more and that may well play a significant role here. They were somewhat biased with their opinion regarding bond issues. These days, they just stay as if the pole cats fed with kithul seeds. Being unbiased, they could go for it, no doubt, their predecessorstoo were clever at findings in state corruption, but JVPs made to take revenge on UNP was not overlooked.
Else, as we got to know from President himself, that BOND SCAM and related high issues brought over 1000 billion ore more lossess if it would have been studied from 2008.
In this backdrop, JVPrs LOST their CLEAN records all at once I would say.
These Samarasinge guymakes ludicrous statemetns that could jeopardise party principles. Nevertheless i respect JVprs to have worked diehard on the revealing lot more high crimes albeit not sufficient.
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Old codger / February 18, 2019
Wasantha Samarasingha is another Maharaja puppet. I wonder what Sirasa will say? RANIL SPREADS HIS VICES AT SAGT! !!!!
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Old codger / February 18, 2019
Wasantha Samarasingha is another Maharaja puppet. I wonder what Sirasa will say? “RANIL SPREADS HIS VICES AT SAGT! !!!!”
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Native Vedda / February 16, 2019
AKD
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What is the big idea?
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Amarasiri / February 16, 2019
AKD,
Can you give Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna affiliated trade union guys, bamboos.
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Gemini Cricket / February 16, 2019
What we should be surprised about would be, if the trade unions and the JVP sided with the victim and upheld the course of Justice and pursued the matter further and got the predator arrested and Jailed perhaps.
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This is no news to me, Sri Lanka has become a cespit for crime because our mindset has been turned upside-down by political predators over the past 15 years.
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Our moral compass is pointing south, we always manage to find reason to side and support the most illogical and unjust issues. We a on a self-destructive path and I don’t see it changing course.
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We may choose to point fingers at politicos conveniently but yet we are the ones who give them the strength to commit attrocities from behind. Our hearts secretly want such chaos and suffering of others no matter how we may deny it.
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Otherwise what does it take grown adults to see the truth for what it is, and take action to solve the sorry state of everything bad in our country through one voice.
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Veronica Kalupahana / February 16, 2019
I had lots of respect for Wasanatha Samarasinghe. Looks like I might lose it.
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JD / February 16, 2019
I hear that female employees in Srilanka have sometimes to provide sexual favours in order to get a job or to get a promotion. This sexual abuse of males is uncommon. Some one should take this to the police.
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Spring Koha / February 18, 2019
JD, you hear rightly. I know so. From a garment factory job, and all the way up to parliament, a sexual favour goes a long way. Harvey Weinstein, eat you heart out!
So here is the challenge in our island in the sun: Report to the Police? Hell, they themselves are masters of abuse. However, you are right, we must report. Every time we allow it to go unreported, we are encouraging these abuses to become normal.
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SJ / February 19, 2019
JD you say
“I hear that female employees in Srilanka have sometimes to provide sexual favours in order to get a job or to get a promotion.”
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It happens all over the world. Until women are truly equal they will be victims of gender abuse.
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Ruwan Silva / February 16, 2019
Wasantha is a humbug He shouts for various causes but secretly is involved in business with political foes.If SAGT give him a handout he will change his tune
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JD / February 16, 2019
In between these injustices for the public, some BREAKING NEWS. VAJIRA KAriyawasam says that they are taking SIRIKOTHA to the village. Because it is Christmus time for Sri lankan voters until the general election is over. Anyway, after the SIrikotha is moved to every village, Villagers would find UNP LOST the election, all the rural and agrarian banks had gone empty. So, it is the same 2015 revolution made the voters pay more for survival.
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Douglas / February 17, 2019
The “Author” of this article is Colombo Telegraph. Now, it is time for the JVP to come out CLEAN on this matter. Besides that, I have a question for the members of that particular “Trade Union”: If this “story” is factually “Correct”, Why did you become a “Brigade Of Slaves” to abide by the Union to resort to “Strike Action”? Why have you SURRENDERED your FREEDOM to challenge the Union decision? I raise these questions on the premises that the facts as presented by CT are “Correct” and “Authentic”. If PEOPLE learn to be FREE and DECIDE on facts and truth, these “Political Parties and Trade Unions” (affiliated to any political party) would never get an opportunity to override you and your FREEDOM to decide what is best for you. You would have been “Mislead”; but if the facts are TRUE, show your STRENGTH and SOLIDARITY with that TRUTH and make a DECISION to DEFY that UNION’s directive and GET BACK to work IMMEDIATELY.
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Eagle Eye / February 17, 2019
Except perhaps Handunneththi, all the others in Jaathiya Vinashakarana Peramuna (JVP) are crooks. This lot is no different from the so called ‘Leftist Socialist’ leaders who ruined this country in the past. JVP killed SAITAM and ruined investor confidence.
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These guys are defending the most notorious bank robber in Sri Lanka.
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These guys have not done anything for the 24,000 victims of Edirisinghe Trust Investment (ETI) financial scandal. Rs.17.5billion has evaporated. Victims suspect ‘Chaura Regina’ and Bitter-vella are behind this. EAP Holdings sold to a foreign company that is alleged for money laundering ignoring a higher offer from a local investor.
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These guys are fighting for liberation of oppressed people. Vellala Demalu in Yapanaya have oppressed low caste Demala people but have these champions of ‘VIMUKTHI’ done anything to liberate them from the clutches of Vellala elites?
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Nathan / February 17, 2019
I thought rape and sexual harassment is legalised in Paradise. In fact former CJ told me about this. I feel some of our natives are turning towards kollas after tired of China, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese tarts and the big price they have to pay for the service. But at least we have to support our home grown kellas and instead of going to the ME let them have a better life back in Paradise.
Our laws consider rape only between a male and a female and not with kollas. You ask Ranil and he will explain this to you.
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shankar / February 17, 2019
sack all the buggers who are striking.Time to send a clear message on labour reform,or stay forever as a third world country.First world or third world,the choice is yours sri lankans.
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Native Vedda / February 17, 2019
shankar
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“sack all the buggers who are striking.”
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You sound exactly like your mate David Blacker, proposing counter revolution.
How could you sack them when they have responsibilities towards looking after their families, local betting shop, bars, … upkeep of mistress, ………….. Even if they are unproductive wherever they are employed if you sack them they will take up mugging, highway robbery, terrorism, trading in drug, prostitution, become part of rent a mob, ……… you name it, ….
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I would rather keep them and pay them a monthly income than send them home and make them not only martyrs, victims, ….. but also hard core criminals.
This is unfortunately the social cost this country has to bear.
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Isn’t why we keep 225 inside the parliament than outside of it?
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shankar / February 18, 2019
native
how did china ever become the factory of the world?Did you ever see a strike in china for the last 50 years?It has eradicated poverty and people can look after their families.Think of the benefit of a few at the expense of many or think for the benefit of many at the expense of a few.Which would you choose?Also see the issue behind the strike.Are you going to allow perverts to rule the roost in a workplace?Smash it.That is what lee kuan yew or mahathir would have done.Unfortunately we don’t have those calibre of people as our leaders.so third world it is for us.
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SJ / February 19, 2019
Try sacking and see the outcome. The days when JRJ got away with sacking the strikers of 1980 are gone. He sacked the railway workers, and the railway has been downhill ever since, with political appointees ruining the railway.
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There were fewer industrial disputes in China when the workers had a say in the management.
In the past 30 years there have been many serious strikes, mostly in the special economic zones. Some severely disrupted production in the motor industry.
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Native Vedda / February 21, 2019
SJ
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“There were fewer industrial disputes in China when the workers had a say in the management.”
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Well we know you love China. It doesn’t mean you can distort facts.
China’s record-level labor unrest:
edition.cnn.com/2017/02/22/asia/china-labor-unrest-we-the-workers/index.html
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“The days when JRJ got away with sacking the strikers of 1980 are gone. He sacked the railway workers, and the railway has been downhill ever since, with political appointees ruining the railway.”
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How about N M Perera sacking of Bank Employees in 1973 when he was building a socialist trade union while the weeping widow was reigning the state? Later NM’s every opportunistic political strike was broken by Felix flexing his muscle.
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Bineka Venurapolonnowita / February 17, 2019
Wasantha Samarasinghe proclaims himself to be anti corruption crusaider. Though I admire him he is no match for Ranjan Ramanayake
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SJ / February 19, 2019
Ranjan Ramanayake?
Are you serious?
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Mrs Manawadu / February 17, 2019
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Rosemarry Madonza / February 17, 2019
Unbelievably handsome Wasantha Samarasinghe is a great talker and a fine gentleman. A hope for the battered nation. Is CT on a mission to attack this most patriotic fine individual. I hope not.
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Good Sense / February 17, 2019
What is not clear is about the gender of the perpetrator. If it is a female, then perhaps this could be the first case in Sri Lanka involving ‘male molestation’ if not ‘male rape’. If the perpetrator is a male, then this type of activity has taken place in Sri Lanka for quite a long time, including in the Police and that could be one of the reasons for the police not to record a statement. Male seniors abusing male juniors take place in schools, work places, military, police and what not. But what ever it is the rule of law must prevail.
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Minolika Kudukedu / February 17, 2019
Eagle Eye
I disagree. I say only Lal Kantha is crook all other frontline JVP leaders are good is not the word, superb
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Nathan / February 17, 2019
Eagle not only that and they even ruined our Mysore parippu and Bombay lunu.
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Champa / February 17, 2019
Promoting LGBT since 2015 is the reason for sexual assaults on the rise as some people believe that it is not a crime.
Moreover, in such cases, everybody takes on the side of the perpetrator, not the victim.
In Sri Lanka, one has to have lot of courage to come forward to complain about being a victim of a sexual assaulter.
Dismissing the perpetrator is not enough. He should be produced to the courts through the Police and the company should be warned for trying to conceal a crime.
In the meantime, it is uncommon for any trade union, let alone JVP, launching a “strike” demanding “reinstatement” of a sexual predator, instead of a jail term, unless of course he is one JVP’s staunch supporters.
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Native Vedda / February 18, 2019
Champass
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“Promoting LGBT since 2015 is the reason for sexual assaults on the rise as some people believe that it is not a crime.”
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Please cite any research reports to support your spurious claims.
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SJ / February 17, 2019
There is a problem for a trade union here, as it has an obligation to protect a member complaining about being victimised.
There is always the sympathy of colleagues regardless of the veracity of a charge.
They need no signal from above to rise in protest on behalf of a colleague.
Has WS made a statement?
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The university parallel is that when someone is punished for ragging, the whole student body (except for the anti-rag few, who lie low) is up in arms.
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What is reported is a criminal offence and the police should have recorded a complaint and should have acted on it.
To expect the management to get involved, unless it has an interest in the victim, is too ambitious.
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Vilma Wilbert / February 19, 2019
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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Colombo man / February 20, 2019
We have been a democracy more than 60 years.
We got Open economy / free trade in 1978.
But why cant we be like Singapore / Japan / S Korea ??????
The people should strive for a better system – enough is enough
28 Peoples representatives in Parliament are drug addicts ?
Politicians (including JVP) do your duty and Make SRI LANKA the wonder of Asia.
not biggest JOKE in the World
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Native Vedda / February 21, 2019
SJ
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“There were fewer industrial disputes in China when the workers had a say in the management.”
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Well we know you love China. It doesn’t mean you can distort facts.
China’s record-level labor unrest:
edition.cnn.com/2017/02/22/asia/china-labor-unrest-we-the-workers/index.html
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“The days when JRJ got away with sacking the strikers of 1980 are gone. He sacked the railway workers, and the railway has been downhill ever since, with political appointees ruining the railway.”
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How about N M Perera sacking of Bank Employees in 1973 when he was building a socialist trade union while the weeping widow was reigning the state? Later NM’s every opportunistic political strike was broken by Felix flexing his muscle.
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