“Brandix did not manufacture COVID Company gives its side of the story”, 19 October 2020

Brandix Lanka has voiced its hurt against the increasing levels of harassment against its employees since one of its workers tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct.3…

Brandix Group Finance Director and Managing Director of the company’s Indian operations, Hasitha Premaratne told Daily Mirror … that since the first patient was detected in its Minuwangoda factory, Brandix employees, on all levels, faced a backlash from society and these included one of their buses, which was carrying its employees to another factory, being stoned by unknown groups, Brandix teams not being allowed to enter some villages when they went to offer relief to its employees in their homes, and buses and three wheelers refusing to take Brandix employees from other locations.
Premaratne said … “This has really hurt us. What can the girl on the ground do? This is how society is treating them. It brings tears to our eyes. This needs to change. What wrong have they done?”
Premaratne further reiterated that no Indian national had arrived in the three flights which the company had chartered from Visakhapatnam and no Indian national had visited the Minuwangoda plant…
The company has also appointed an independent committee to probe the allegations by one of its employees who claimed that workers were forced to work with fever in the Minuwangoda plant and has assured that if these claims was factual, appropriate action would be taken.