MAS shutdown over COVID spike en masse
The apparel industry which continues its operations despite the current lockdown faced its next biggest spike in cases this week with the MAS Thulhiriya factory shutting down as it reported 400 employees testing positive for COVID-19.
Labour Commissioner Prabhath Chandrakeethi told the Business Times on Friday that according to the Labour officer sent to carry out the investigation at the plant on Thursday it was found that 400 employees were COVID-19 positive including the CEO and Human Resources managers who have already been hospitalised.
He noted that due to one or two employees testing positive they have carried out tests on a large number of employees.
Since May 19 (Wednesday) the plant has been shut down, he said adding that they have just commenced the investigations and were investigating about the health committees and whether the right protocols were followed.
Mr. Chandrakeerthi said that factories were asked to operate in a bio bubble system by the health authorities following the spike in the recent wave.
He said the report on the investigation will be available within one week and it was not known when the plant will reopen.
In a statement issued by MAS to the Business Times queries on the recent spike and the reasons for it, they stated that they had carried out undertaking “regular PCR testing at its manufacturing plants” as part of its preventive procedures towards curbing the spread of the third wave.
In this respect, such PCR tests were conducted recently among employees at the Thurulie plant in Polgahawela and 380 employees tested positive for COVID-19, the statement said.
It further notes that the management is working with the Government health authorities “to determine the next steps that are to be taken by the plant management.”
The affected employees have been safely transferred to the company’s Care Centres, it was noted.
It also noted that MAS operates with stringent COVID-19 protocols in place, and all decisions related to the operations of the plants are taken based on the directives and in adherence to the relevant health authorities.
MAS is providing “financial and logistical support” to the government health authorities and has already established a Care Centre in Giriulla and will be establishing a new one at Polgolla, Kandy as well.
Following this spike in cases, Labour Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva has called for an immediate investigation into the matter and asked Labour Commissioner Prabhath Chandrakeerthi to find out whether the proper health guidelines and work practices were carried out at the factory.
| TUs voice concern | |
| The spike in cases found from the apparel factories would not have arisen had the government initiated the vaccination of the workers in these places prior to going home for the New Year, FTZ Trade Union General Secretary Anton Marcus told the Business Times. He noted that so far they had only one known case of an apparel factory worker dying of COVID-19 this year in February. Under the circumstances now the trade unions want the workers to be provided an additional allowance and has renewed the call to recommence the Labour Tripartite Task Force meeting that has stopped since March 3 so they could raise these concerns, he said. He also raised concerns that some factories continued to operate despite reporting a number of COVID-19 positive cases and in these instances even the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) were helpless. While in some places due to villager protests some factories were shut down in other places however, the employees are protected within the zones, he said. |