The following is a poem written by Manike, a Sri Lankan woman worker in the Free Trade Zone, revealing her distressful life inside the factory and the poverty experienced by her family. Manike was subsequently dismissed in September 1987 because of publishing this poem in the July-August 1987 issue of DABINDU, a bi-monthly newspaper of the women workers in the Free Trade Zone.
Life
I awake at 4:30 am before dawn
I gather courage to kindle the fire
Having washed my face
I gulp down some tea
I leave for work early in the morning
I start work at 7 am
The supervisor (Miss) calls on me
And orders my production for the day
I regret my inability to give the full production
The supervisor scolds me and leaves
At 10:30 am we get a sip of tea
It has neither flavour nor sugar
We take it because we are hungry
We tolerate them because we are poor
I came to Katunayaka for work
I obtained employment in the Free Trade Zone
I worked at Star Garments
Now I feel disgusted with the job
I fell ill the other day
Yet I was not allowed to leave
On a day when I have to work
With sickness and much difficulty
I might fall dead at Star Garments
I work through the month
I am paid Rs 800 for a month
I am paid Rs72 as attendance bonus
No allowances are added to our pay
I sit at the machine at 7 am
Miss comes at me at 8 am
She asks what my production is
I tell her the amount I am able to give
I get a pain in my chest
Miss asks me to go to the sick room
I stay there for about quarter of an hour
I come back again and sit at the machine
My mother is not aware how much I suffer
Only I know how much I suffer
I go in the morning and return at night
I suffer with pain in my body
We are not given any leave
Leave is allowed only in an emergency
That leave is also allowed after a harangue
We who are poor are so harassed
My mother who breastfed me
My father who suffered much to bring me up
My teacher who gave me knowledge
I pay them all my obeisance.
Manike
The Dismissal
Manike has worked as a temporary employee in Star Garments for one year. Having a workforce of 3000 workers. Star Garments is one of the biggest enterprises in the FTZ.
On the 27th of August, Manike was forced by management to sign a statement stating that she wrote the poem, and the facts contained in it were untrue, and that she had written it under the compulsion of other persons. She was threatened that she would be handed over to the police if she refused to sign the statement.
On the 1st of September, Manike was taken to the office of the Greater Colombo Economic Commission (GCEC), and compelled to sign yet another letter.
This time she was threatened that she would never be able to get another job within the FTZ if she did not sign the letter.
On the 3rd of September, Manike was dismissed for bringing disgrace and ill-fame to the factory and as such had committed an act of destruction against the factory.
The Struggle and the Victory
Manike's dismissal is a significant case revealing the degree of freedom that workers in the FTZ can enjoy. They just have no right for association nor expression! The very harsh action by the management and the GCEC has shocked and angered many people locally and internationally. Many local groups came together to give their support to Manike. National and international campaigns were launched to pressurize the management to reinstate Manike.
These efforts bore fruits when we received the exciting news that on November 19, Manike was reinstated unconditionally with back wages. The national and international pressure mounted had caused Manike's case to be discussed in the parliament and the Ministry of Labour pledging to make a full investigation into the case. The entire experience of the struggle and the victory is seen as marking a historic milestone in the lives of women workers in the Free Trade 2^nes in Sri Lanka. DABINDU extends their gratitude to everyone who has supported their campaign.
Source:
Asian Women Workers Newsletter Committee for Asian Women 57 Peking Road 41 F, Kowloon Hong Kong