Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières
The Government has started talks with the World Bank to secure a Rs. 10 billion loan for the purchase of a vaccine against COVID-19, a senior official said.
The official said the Government was seeking a soft loan while also looking at the possibility of obtaining funding from the Asian (...)
Former LSSP leader and senior doctor Professor Vitharana explains where the Sri lankan government got it wrong on Covid-19. The authorities have to prospectively study and see if Ayurveda and traditional medicine would be beneficial Govt. wanted to take credit when first COVID wave ended (...)
The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in its report on the ‘Status of the Economy’ revealed that income inequality in the country is growing, and is a rising problem across the country for the past 25 years.
In 2016, 50% of Sri Lankan households earned less than Rs.39,855 per month. With the (...)
Sri Lanka’s worst Covid-19 outbreak has originated from a Brandix garment factory: 1,036 employees and 361 of their close contacts have tested positive – over a quarter of the country’s total cases. Speaking out against the exploitation and conditions that led to the outbreak, hundreds of workers (...)
Sri Lanka saw a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases from September and with that, the plight of the garment workers came into the limelight, once again, with some alarming exposure on how they were treated during these COVID-19 times.
The Government and the management of the concerned garment (...)
Trade unions have asked employers to release information regarding issues in factories in order to agree to the revised salary scheme for those at home without work.
FTZ Trade Union General Secretary Anton Marcus speaking with the Business Times said that they had asked the employers to (...)
No one knew how old Lawrence was when he passed away. He died at the bus stop he took shelter at, amid rain or the unbearable noon heat. The bus stop in front of the construction site with the massive white Buddha statue next to it became his haven—where no one bothered him or asked him to (...)
Writing a weekly column is invariably a challenge especially for two reasons. First, the columnist has to obey the Editor’s ‘conditionality’ that the word limit should not exceed 1,000 words +/- 200 words.
Second, the columnist cannot have a long-time writing plan since the events bypass and (...)
We, the undersigned from civil society express grave concern regarding the establishment of a spate of Presidential Task Forces in the last few months.
Three Task Forces were appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a response to COVID-19. One has extensive powers to direct, coordinate and (...)
Sri Lanka, at the time of writing, is going through an interlinked epidemiological, economic and ecological crises imposed by the neoliberalist phase of global capitalism (1980- 2020). Although, in first appearance, the three crises appear to be separate from each other, they are distantly (...)
The COVID-19 pandemic has snatched away scores of lives globally, with the number of positive cases increasing daily. Amid the crisis, healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses and Public Health Inspectors (PHI) are working around the clock to save lives. PHIs, who are in the forefront of (...)
It is almost certain that the neo-liberalist phase of global capitalism has reached its end point with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and the associated global economc downturn. Unlike in the 2008-9 crisis, China will not be able to save the global capitalist economy this time as its economy (...)
Lack of legal power for Public Health Inspectors, a shortage of safety equipment, gruelling work hours, stress and anxiety. First responders are putting their lives on hold for the people of Sri Lanka.
As health care workers, from doctors to attendants and public health inspectors (PHIs) are (...)
Dr. Anil Jasinghe, the Director of Health, has informed that the corona crisis would be turned into a prolonged one as a result of the careless behavior of some people. Some people refused not only to inform that they would have been potential virus carriers but also to maintain social (...)
Activists reiterate call for President to release eligible prisoners on COVID-19 fears. * Says most vulnerable such as sick, elderly persons, women with children should be given priority * Suggests home leave for eligible prisoners for at least 2 months * In interest of transparency, requests (...)
Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) workers, many of whom had suffered great hardship in curfew lockdown, were finally able to return to their hometowns on Friday amidst chaos and crowds causing concern during a pandemic situation.
Organisations representing FTZ workers charge that a late measure (...)
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