Port City protest a matter between contractor and employees: CHEC

Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd states that this week's protest near the project is "a contractual and regulatory dispute" that has arisen between a contractor company and its employees which CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, the project investor company, "have no direct connection with."

Issuing a statement, Port City (Pvt) Ltd noted that the dispute had arisen regarding the termination of their contracts and dispute on accepting new health regulations imposed by the Government. 

"It comes as a shock to us that the group of workers involved in this incident have resorted to such a course of action instead of resolving their issues through formal and legal means with their employer. As the only project that continued to operate in Sri Lanka during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Port City Colombo is committed to ensuring the job security of over 1,500 local employees working at the construction site. Due to these sentiments, we are very much dismayed by a protest of this nature," the statement stressed. 

The statement further adds that the company strongly denies and objects to the "baseless claims" made by the protestors such as the lack of medical facilities, sanitation and discrimination of local workers on site. "We are committed to equal and fair treatment to all workers regardless of their nationality. The Sri Lankan workforce at the site is above 80% and the expat workers are only involved with specialized work which requires experience in handling relevant machineries. We have been maintaining the highest safety standards which are regularly monitored by well reputed local and foreign standard control institutions. Moreover, the project is a Public-Private Partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka subject to constant supervision by the relevant line ministries and agencies. It is also saddening to see that prominent media organizations carried visuals of emotional placards displayed by the protesters, questioning the sovereignty of Port City Colombo. It is a widely known fact that the Port City Colombo has been declared as a part of Co lombo and Sri Lanka, which was passed through the Parl iament proceedings and vested with Urban Development Authority by late last year. Therefore, we are of the belief that these emotional sentiments put forward by the protesters are baseless and unnecessary."

Though the project's construction has been slowed due to the prevailing COVID-19 crisis, with the country's steady recovery, construction too has surely resumed, the company noted. "As a result, more than 1,000 local employees have returned to work at the Port City Colombo site, strictly following government guidelines for health and safety. After the pandemic, the project anticipates facing difficulties such as restrictions in importation of necessary materials, local supplies and limiting local workers due to compliance with Government health regulations. However, we continue our commitment in adhering to the timeline of the project with optimism about the future of Sri Lanka," the statement added.