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Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has defended a senior diplomat after an Australian court ordered it to pay more than $360,000 in wages to its former housekeeper who was held in “slavery conditions” in Canberra.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo said Himalee Arunatilaka, currently Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, including the International Labour Organization, had been following government-approved standards to pay low wages.
Arunathilaka served as Colombo’s deputy high commissioner to Canberra for three years until 2018.
The Federal Court of Australia ruled on Thursday (August 15) that Arunathilaka had breached the Fair Work Act and was not entitled to diplomatic immunity.
According to Australian media reports, the court ordered Arunathilaka to pay Priyanka Dhanaratna more than A$540,000 ($360,000) in wages and interest.
Her lawyer David Hillard said: “She worked seven days a week for three years with only two days off and she did this because she burned her hands preparing food.”
She received no unpaid breaks, no overtime pay or penalties, and no regular salary or pay slips.
“This is an example of modern slavery,” he said.
The court heard Danaratna was paid $11,212 for three years of work, while the national minimum wage for a 38-hour week is $656.90.
After escaping the diplomatic residence, Danaratna sought refuge with the Salvation Army.
However, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the wages paid to maids were in accordance with the standards approved by Colombo.
“The allowance approved by the Ministry of Labour has been paid to her as employee salary,” the ministry statement said.
“The ministry is satisfied that the above wages were paid by the employer to the domestic helper in accordance with the agreement between the two parties.”
The statement was released over the weekend after sparking criticism on social media and calls for the government to respond in an Australian court.
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