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CFL urges government to abandon USAID inspired labour reforms
The Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) has accused President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of “clandestinely” undertaking a program of labour reforms through the Ministry of Justice “to set, what is euphemistically called, a conducive environment for investment, especially Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).”
In a statement iussued last week, CFL General Secretary TMR Rasseedin said that these changes are sought to be made through the justice ministry usurping the functions of the labour ministry and called upon the government to abandon these ongoing efforts.
“At the very outset it has to be categorically stated that the mandate the government received from the country at the last Presidential and Parliamentary Elections did not include labour law reforms and that too with the assistance of a foreign agency with questionable antecedents.
“Labour reforms find no mention in President Rajapaksa’s Manifesto ‘Saubagya Dekma’. We are astonished to find that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been engaged to review labour laws with the assistance of USAID, sans involvement of the Ministry of Labour and relevant stakeholders.”
Such an exercise, if at all, should be handled by the Ministry of Labour (MoL) and not by any other agency and, by doing so, the MoJ is usurping the role and responsibilities of the MoL to oversee matters involving labour in the country, the statement said.
“We hold the view that the MoL and the Department of Labour (DoL) hold the sole responsibility to manage issues related to labour in the country and oppose such interference by outside authorities. Previous attempts to promote such reforms catering to employer demands have been successfully beaten back by trade unions.
“In 2017 during the Yahapalana period, the then Minister of Labour abdicated his role and acquiesced in allowing the Ministry of Development Strategies & International Trade, with the assistance of some surrogate unions and the USAID to initiate labour reforms which were stymied in time by a strong protest by the overwhelming majority of unions in the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), the statement said.
“This project is now being revived under the MOJ whose Minister recently earned notoriety for some uncalled for remarks on strikes, exposing the limits of his knowledge of not only international law but also our own National Workers Charter which continues to govern our labour relations. It has to be stated that unless otherwise officially retracted, the National Workers Charter constitutes the policy framework that regulates labour affairs in the country.
“We urge the Minister of Justice to take stock of the ground reality before he ventures into unfamiliar terrains such as labour reforms. In an evidence-based comparison of labour market regulations vis-a-vis FDI, CFL has found out that there is no empirical evidence to justify the type of labour law regime that capital is seeking to advance in order to enhance its profit.
“The statistics obtained by the CFL covers key East and South Asian economies such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal with which Sri Lanka is in competition to attract FDIs for export-based manufacturing industries.
“The labour markets of some of these countries are often quoted by local authorities and some policy advocates as ideally positioned for the inflow of FDIs. As verifiably evidence from the online statistical base of the Doing Business 2019 World Bank Report, labour market regulation in Sri Lanka is clearly the worst or far below average when compared with the above key regional economies “
This was in respect of matters such as Minimum Wages Statutory protection in hiring i.e. probation periods, fixed term contracts etc as well as many others, CFL said.
It said the present Minister of Labour sought to give a more precise definition to the different employment categories such as Fixed Term, etc. when he gazetted the Minimum Retirement Age of Workers Bill on 12.10.21.
“However, during its passage through Parliament, we saw the Interpretation Clause being reworked to appease employer interests. The CFL understands that the main focus of the MoJ-USAID inspired labour law reform agenda is to further whittle down clauses from our statutes such as these which protect workers and thereby pave the way for a race towards the bottom.,” the statement said.
“The politically ill-advised and cronyism-driven present exercise of the MoJ under the aegis of a foreign government development agency with a questionable political record has to be stymied before it further degrades the labour laws of the country, which even today is way below average for the region.”
The Ceylon Federation of Labour urged the government “to abandon this clandestine project without stirring unrest among the working class that may well turn out to be calamitous for the government.”
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
