Tense standoff at Weligama garment factory over unpaid bonus

A tense situation has developed at a privately owned garment factory in the Udukawa area of Weligama, Matara, as employees are staging a protest by holding the head of the institution under house arrest.

The protest began last night (April 8) after the factory’s management announced that this year’s Sinhala and Tamil New Year bonus would not be paid. The management cited newly imposed tariffs by the United States on Sri Lankan goods as the reason for the decision. The unrest escalated when the factory manager was held hostage in his office by disgruntled workers.

According to sources, the company’s governing authority had informed employees yesterday morning that bonus payments would not be disbursed this year. This triggered a heated verbal altercation between the management and workers.

Soon after the announcement, a group of employees locked the factory’s entrance gate, completely blocking access and bringing all operations to a standstill. They have declared that they will not leave the premises until the bonus is paid.

Factory officials contacted Weligama Police, prompting the deployment of special police forces to the area. However, the protest remains ongoing as of this morning (April 9), with employees continuing their blockade.

The dispute follows a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a 44 percent tariff on Sri Lankan imports. The announcement was made on April 2 and took effect today, April 9, 2025.