Around 350 employees of a factory at Halpe in Katana, owned by an Oman national, staged a protest against state minister Indika Anuruddha in front of his home and ancestral home nearby yesterday (08).
They demonstrated against an assault on the factory’s manager and a security guard, after which they were paid one month’s salary and the factory closed for one month.
The attack followed a failed attempt by a close associate of Anuruddha to obtain a vehicle hiring contract from the factory.
Badalgama police arrested three suspects a day after the attack, but with allegations of the probe not taking place properly, the CID took over the investigation.
The workers accused the state minister over the incident and demanded the government give them a guarantee that their factory was safe from further attacks.
In the meantime, public security minister Tiran Alles has telephoned the factory’s owner and assured him of full police protection to the factory.
