Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-01-11

Extension of the grace period agreed for the payment of salaries to employees of the private sector in the wake of Covid - 19 triggered crisis

- At a meeting of the Task Force established with the participation of employers, trade unions, the National Labour Advisory Council, the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Labour on the payment of salaries to the employees of the private sector in the wake of crisis situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been agreed to grant relief such as retaining job of employees, providing each employee with proportionate opportunities enabling all employees to serve, payment of 50% from his/her last drawn monthly salary or Rs.14,500/-, whichever is more favorable to the employee if employees are requested stay at home and payment of EPF and ETF contributions by the employer according to the so paid salary. Accordingly, taking into account the serious crisis faced by the tourism sector on the restrictions of movement and travel due to the Covid - 19 outbreak, the proposal made by the Minister of Labour to extend the period of the above relief measures up to the end of March, 2020 to grant the same for the institutions in the tourism sector and also for the institutions of other sectors which are unable to maintain their businesses due to the Covid - 19 pandemic, was approved by the Cabinet.