Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-06-05

Introduction of a new Act to make the Sri Lankan labour force the shareholders of the economy

- The Department of Labour, from its inception up to now has enforced 61 Acts related to the Service Conditions, Social Protection and Occupational Hygiene and Safety of Workers and out of them only 27 Acts are being practically implemented, at present. As several discrepancies seem to have been found between certain service conditions in these Acts, it has been proposed to make a single Act pertaining to the conditions of employment without prejudice to the existing labour rights, with a view to averting the discrepancies encountered when implementing them. By this Act, it is expected to introduce flexible service conditions to get the inactive labour population in Sri Lanka to contribute to the economic development.

Accordingly, the the proposal made by Hon. Ravindra Samaraweera, the Minister of Labour & Trade Union Relations, to introduce a new Act in respect of employment replacing the Wages Boards Ordinance, Shop and Office Employees Act, the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act and the Maternity Benefits Ordinance, without any prejudice to the labour rights enforced by the labour laws already imposed, was approved by the Cabinet.