Sri Lanka new Employment Act in progress
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka is in discussions with relevant stakeholders to formulate a new Employment Act, cabinet spokesman, Minister Bandula Gunawardane said.
Addressing a cabinet decisions media briefing on Tuesday (31), Gunawardane said a concept paper for the formulation of a new Employment Act relevant to the present, drafted in consultation in consultation with trade unions, employers and other relevant parties, submitted by Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara, had been presented for further discussion to the to the tripartite committee – representing employers, employees and the government – functioning under the prime minister’s office.
Gunawardane said the committee chaired by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had studied the concept paper and submitted a report containing recommendations on matters that need to be addressed.
“The cabinet will advise the Legal Draftsman to prepare a bill based on those recommendations and the concept paper presented by the labour and foreign employment minister.”
Since the currency crisis last year, Sri Lankan officials have said labour laws need to be reformed to facilitate an export-oriented economy.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka will bring a comprehensive law to regulate labour and that the labour movement should be modernized in line with global trends.
Nanayakkara has been pushing for the country’s labour laws to be aligned with global standards like ILO’s C190 and C180.
The new Act seeks to regulate workers in the informal economy, Nanayakkara said, explaining that it will ensure labour is regulated and all employers have a licence that is required to be renewed each year by a council.
He has said it will also include a social security net for workers.
-economynext.com
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