Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2022-03-21

Submission of the industrial Disputes (Special Provisions) Bill in Parliament

- A plethora of cases including violations of provisions in the Labour legislation by the employers and recovery of statutory entitlements of employees which may be resolved within a shorter span, has been filed in the Magistrate's Courts and it appears that it takes a longer period to deliver verdicts in respect of those cases. Taking into consideration these matters, approval of the Cabinet has been granted previously to introduce an Industrial Dispute (Special Provisions) Act to delegate concurrent judicial powers to the Magistrate's Courts and Labour Tribunals for adjudicating the cases filed under Labour legislation expeditiously. Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the said Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman. As such, the proposal made by the Minister of Labour to publish the said Bill in the Government Gazette and present the same thereafter in Parliament for approval, was approved by the Cabinet.