Employees of Sri Lanka's state television shut out of station

Mar 17, 2008, 11:36 GMT

Colombo - Employees of Sri Lanka's state-run television station were shut out from work Monday by the police after a threat by the employees to stage a strike in the wake of a series attacks on them, a spokesman for the television trade unions said.

The employees vowed to go on strike after two male executive staff members were beaten up on the road side, a female employee was slashed with a razor knife and two others were threatened by unidentified men during the past two months.

The attacks started after a government minister stormed the television station on December 26 last year with his bodyguards and assaulted a news director for the failure to broadcast a public speech made by him.

In turn the employees jeered the minister and poured red ink on him, forcing him to leave the television station under a heavy army and police guard.

Employees believe that the attacks or threats on their colleagues were revenge attacks by Labour minister Mervyn Silva, who has been previously involved in cases of attacking and abusing people, including journalists. The minister has denied involvement in the attacks.

More than 200 employees were turned away by the police when they turned up for work and the station has been running scheduled programmes while the military assistance has been sought to operate the transmission machines.

The Media Ministry said that employees of the state-run television, known as the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), on Monday were given a 'holiday,' but employees claimed they were locked out of the premises.

The trade union representatives of the SLRC were scheduled to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa later Monday to discuss their demands, including the removal Minister Silva. Their other demands are to provide security for employees under threat and pay compensation for the injured.