Sri Lankan women speak out
Socialist Organiser1984 1984-01-19Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 5 →
Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: expect misread words, and now and then a caption or a line from a neighbouring story. For anything you quote, read the scan.
Scan page 5
'THEY ARE LIKE THE DEVIL'S V WE JONED this factory for employment, in order to have a means of livelihood and relief for some of our problems.
But on the contrary, the only relief we have gained is the loss of physical energy, day by day.
We are being made to work both day and night. like buffaloes tethered to trees. Nos a single moment of the day is there for rest.
The management is only concerned about its own benefit. The more production they extort, the greater the increase in their monthly incomes. The poor female morters do nox get one cent's increase in their wages, however much the production increases.
The managerial staff draw about Rs 5,000 to 6,000 monthly as salaries. [10 rupees = approximately]. The female workers are paid at the rate of Rs.20/- per day. Out of this, fines are recovered in case of short production, absence due to petty illness, and also for various other petty things...
The female workers is thus not in a position to have any savings or meet her obligations towards ner parents, brothers and sisters. All we have to anticipate in the long run is to possess a debilitated and emaciated body....
The remale worker is not granted leave even if she falls ill. A little medicine or a cup of coffee is not available to us, even if we faint while at work.
The temale workers here eujoy no facilities at all in the night shift. Only half an hour break for meals is allowed. How are we to work in the same posture for 12 hours?
Many female workers employno.162