The British multinational clothing, footwear, and home products retailer, NEXT agreed to recognize the newly formed branch of Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZ & GSEU) at its plant (Next Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd) located in Katunayke.
In January this year (2021), following a successful action to win back unpaid bonuses, workers at a Next Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd) (NML) owned by NEXT formed the new branch of the FTZ&GSEU trade union.
Workers have been reporting intimidation, threats, and discrimination at the Plant and nearly half the workers joined the trade union.
In a letter, NEXT’s Managamnet announced that a process of registration of the workers who have joined FTZ&GSEU Trade Union would be taking place, followed by an offsite meeting that will be arranged between the representatives of the FTZ&GSEU Trade Union and the local NML management
In December Last year (2020), before the trade union branch was set up, the workers walked out over unpaid bonuses – money workers rely on as their poverty wages are not enough to survive on. As a result of this collective action, Next agreed to pay up.