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The Worker Protests in Sri Lanka (Tamil: இலங்கையில் 2011 தொழிலாளி எதிர்ப்புக்கள்) began on 30 May 2011 with workers in free trade zones protesting against a government pension plan. The Sri Lanka police killed one worker in a police firing during the protests. The protests were believed to be supported by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and a number of Buddhist monks joined the protests as well. Later in the month, telecommunications workers began protesting against corruption.

The 2011 Sri Lanka Worker Protests were a series of violent and non-violent protests involving workers from the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) of Sri Lanka against the Government. Approximately 250,000 workers took part in the protest against the Sri Lankan government’s Private Sector Pension Bill (PSBP) which lasted two weeks, from the 24th of May – 6th of June, 2011. The pension bill was effectively cutting wages and limiting employee benefits, which had a negative effect on the FTZ workers and prompted the mass protest (Bryson-Hull, 2011).

The protests started as non-violent demonstrations, however, they quickly turned violent, as the Sri Lankan Police was unable to contain the large crowds. On the 30th of May 2011, a 21-year-old man, Roshen Chanaka was killed by police gunfire. The death of Chanaka prompted widespread discontent with the Sri Lankan Police, and as a result, the Sri Lankan Army was deployed to deal with the developing situation (Haviland, 2011).

The protests ended on the 6th of June with President Mahinda Rajapaksa announcing substantial amendments to the PSBP, which included a revised saving scheme for all workers in the FTZ.

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4.	Geekiyanage, N (2011), ‘Sri Lankan free trade zone workers demonstrate against pension bill’, International Committee of the Fourth International, 28 May, Retrieved March 16 2020, Available at: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/05/sril-m28.html

5.	Haviland, C (2011), ‘Sri Lankans protest over killing of co-worker’, BBC News, 2 June, Retrieved March 15 2020, Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-13631758

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7.	Perera, A (2011), ‘SRI LANKA: A Life Lost in Protest Against Pension Bill’, Inter Press Service News Agency,10 June, Retrieved March 16, Available at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/06/sri-lanka-a-life-lost-in-protest-against-pension-bill/

8.	Sunil, W (2011), ‘Sri Lankan government to reintroduce amended pension bill’, International Committee of the Fourth International, 9 June, Retrieved March 16 2020, Available at: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/06/slpb-j09.html