The Ceylon Mercantile Union (CMU) is one of the largest
trade unions
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...
in the commercial sector in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
The Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers Union was originally built in 1928 as a white-collar union in the mercantile sector. Victor Corea and
A.E. Goonesinha were respectively the inaugural President and secretary of the CMU.
After
Bala Tampoe
Bala Tampoe (23 May 1922 – 1 September 2014) was a Sri Lankan lawyer and a trade unionist. He was the General Secretary of the Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers Union (CMU) in Sri Lanka.
Early life and education
Born on 23 May 1 ...
became its general secretary in February 1948, it came under the influence of the
Lanka Sama Samaja Party.
Trade unions in Sri Lanka
Trade unions established in 1928
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