Tense standoff at Weligama apparel factory over unpaid New Year bonus

A tense situation was reported at a privately-owned apparel factory in Udukawa, Weligama last night (April 8), after employees staged a protest against the management’s decision to withhold the Sinhala and Tamil New Year bonus.

The unrest began as the manager of the factory was held hostage in his office by disgruntled workers, following his announcement that the company could not afford to pay the annual bonus due to the steep tariffs recently imposed by the United States on Sri Lankan exports.

According to sources, the corporate’s governing authority had informed employees last morning that the bonus payments will not be disbursed this year. This triggered a heated verbal altercation between the factory management and workers.

Soon after, a group of employees blocked the entrance to the facility, locking the gates and bringing all operations to a standstill. They have vowed not to leave the premises until their demands are met.

The factory management alerted the Weligama Police regarding the incident, prompting the deployment of special police security to the site.

As of this morning (April 9), the protest is ongoing, with employees continuing to block access to the factory, Ada Derana reporter said.