"Bata refuses to step up for the people who made their shoes", 25 Sep 2014

Shoe company Bata refuses to take any responsibility for the resolution of a labour rights conflict arising at the factory Palla & Co., a Sri Lankan shoe factory...In the Sri Lankan factory Palla &Co, workers produced footwear for the shoe giant Bata. After the refusal of the local management to pay half-yearly salary increments in 2012, workers organised in a factory-level union. However, the management refused to engage in negotiations. Following subsequent workers’ protests, the factory management suspended 15 union officials in November 2013 and dismissed 179 union members in December 2013. Today, 94 workers and 12 unionists are still fighting for reinstatement...The dismissed workers are still facing severe problems to find other jobs because almost all other workplaces refuse to take them. The management of Palla & Co allegedly spoke to other factories’ management and asked them not to recruit their former workers...85 out of the 179 dismissed workers were reinstated by Palla & Co. However, the catch was that they had to sign an agreement with Palla & Co. stating that they would not participate in any trade union activities in the future...