Dec 01, Colombo: Sri Lanka's major Free Trade Zone sources say that the industries are hit with a severe dearth of labor, especially since April this year.

General Secretary of Inter Trade Union Workers' Collective, Counsel Janaka Adhikari says that there is a shortage of around 15,000 workers.

He cited the low wages, high cost of living, lack of opportunity for overtime work due to lack of orders and poor living conditions of the workers as the major reasons for the situation.

He said that the companies had tried to transport workers from outside areas in buses but failed.