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Labour Minister says migrant workers returning to SL given free hotel quarantine
Migrant workers who return to Sri Lanka are provided quarantine faculties free of charge in 14 hotels across the country chosen by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), Labour Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva told Parliament last week.
De Silva was responding to a question raised by the opposition about quarantine regulations for Sri Lankan arrivals being relaxed prior to Minister Basil Rajapksa’s recent return to the island from the US and allowing paid hotel quarantine only after that.
Main opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Thushara Indunil Amarasena said the rules imposed – from PCR tests to quarantine – could cost repatriates about 300,000 rupees.
“Migrant workers are given accommodation facilities and quarantine facilities free of charge in 14 hotels chosen by the SLBFE and recommended by the Sri Lanka Army,” Minister De Silva said.
“Using SLBFE funds, 25 migrant workers in a Dubai safe house were brought back and quarantine facilities were provided for them while 20 from safe houses in Saudi Arabia and Oman were also brought back similarly,” he said.
“The SLBFE will work on bringing back more Sri Lankans in safe houses once airport restrictions are relaxed,” he added.
Last week, Sri Lanka imposed a restriction on inbound passengers from six middle-eastern countries as a large number of returnees tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival despite airlines clearing their documents. The countries were Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.
However, within 24-hours this directive was revoked and a new directive issued in its place.
As per the new directive issued June 30, passengers from the six countries are permitted to arrive subject to mandatory hotel quarantine or travel through Sri Lanka Tourism’s “bio bubble route”.
Minister De Silva said that most migrant workers, especially women, are in safe houses.
“Safe houses are maintained to give protection and security to ‘housemaids’ who were subjected to various hardships, who were not paid salaries and who had finished their service period or those who are expecting to return to Sri Lanka,” he said.
According to the minister, the SLBFE maintains safe houses in 10 Sri Lankan missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Cyprus and Qatar.
“The safe houses have enough space but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, additional allocations were given to Sri Lankan missions in Oman, Kuwait and Cyprus to rent out alternate places to give temporary accommodation when there was not enough space in the safe houses,” he said.
The minister said that women in safe houses are brought down according to a priority list and as and when their documents are cleared. By June 15, 2021, there were 122 housemaids in the safe houses and 69 by July 5.
“The National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID 19 is working on bringing back all Sri Lankans including migrant workers. For this, the Foreign Ministry, Sri Lankan missions abroad and SLBFE provide the required assistance. They are repatriated based on a priority list and capacity of quarantine centres,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
