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Sri Lanka: NEXT shuts down its only unionised garment factory - by WhatsApp

In partnership with the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union.

 
 
On 19 May 2025, only days after announcing over £1 billion in profit and approving shareholder dividends, NEXT shut down its only unionised factory in Sri Lanka by dismissing 1,416 workers by WhatsApp. The Katunayake factory was the only garment factory in the country with a Collective Bargaining Agreement -- a landmark victory for workers of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZ & GSEU). NEXT broke a Collective Bargaining Agreement as it did not consult FTZ & GSEU, and it did not obtain approval from Sri Lanka’s Labour Commissioner -- instead it misled workers into signing 'resignation' letters under fear of losing compensation. NEXT justified its actions by claiming unionised workers were 'too expensive' after winning a wage increase worth less than £10 a month -- even as it reported record profits and approved multimillion-pound executive bonuses. NEXT must reverse the closure, reinstate all workers under their existing terms, and honour its commitments to trade union recognition and collective bargaining.

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Type in your message here - or just use the existing message. I am writing to support the demands of FTZ & GSEU, the recognised union for your Sri Lankan workers at your Katunayake factory. NEXT's action to terminate the employment of 1,416 workers was a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, NEXT's own Code of Practice, and falls below international standards for ethical conduct. I support FTZ & GSEU demands for your company to reverse the closure of the Katunayake factory; reinstate all workers under their existing terms, and honour your commitments under its Collective Bargaining Agreement with FTZ & GSEU. Enter the number 5696 here: Thank you Would you like to receive future urgent action alerts from us? Yes : No : LabourStart takes your privacy very seriously. Read our privacy statement here. Your message will be sent to the following email addresses: simon_wolfson@next.co.uk, simon_finch@next.co.uk, solidaritywithnextworkers@gmail.com