The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has paid nearly Rs. 7 million in Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, including surcharges, to journalist Azzam Ameen after being found in violation of Sri Lanka’s labour laws.
According to the Colombo Labour Office, the BBC paid Rs. 6,913,233 following an official order for failing to remit stipulated EPF contributions during Ameen’s period of employment.
The payment follows an earlier Labour Tribunal ruling which found that Ameen had been wrongfully terminated, resulting in a compensation award of approximately Rs. 4.5 million.
In an order delivered on April 26, 2024, the Labour Tribunal ruled that the BBC’s decision to prematurely terminate Ameen’s contract was unreasonable and unjustifiable. The Tribunal also found that the conduct of the BBC’s representative, Iain Haddow, was arbitrary and high-handed.
Meanwhile, last month, in a separate case involving another international media organisation, the Court of Appeal dismissed a writ petition filed by Refinitiv Limited, formerly Reuters Limited, which sought to suspend a labour order directing the payment of outstanding EPF, gratuity and surcharges amounting to about Rs. 6.2 million to journalist Ranga Srilal.
Court of Appeal Judge Adithya Patabendige ruled that the writ application lacked bona fides and amounted to an abuse of court process, and ordered Reuters to pay Rs. 100,000 as legal costs to the journalist.
