Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamu Development W.D.J. Seneviratne said that ‘Sri Lanka will make every endeavor to be an active partner of the ILO in achieving the anticipated goals of the green initiative”. The Minister encouraged the ILO to provide a platform for effective global dialogue, to facilitate technology transfer from developed to developing countries, to convert their production technologies in to green technologies, and thereby facilitate prevention and mitigation of the impact of climate change, while supporting to create significant additional green jobs. Minister Seneviratne made these observations when he addressed the 106th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva on 12th June 2017, in the context of the report of the Director General of ILO on ‘Work in a changing climate: the Green Initiative”.
GENEVA (ILO News) – On 12 January 2016, the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006). Sri Lanka is the 81st ILO member State and the 16th Asian State to have ratified the Convention.
Addressing the 105th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva on 09th June 2016, Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations W.D.J. Seneviratne has elaborated on the initiatives made by Sri Lanka on the ‘Decent Work Programme’, including the “historical initiative of ‘National Minimum Wages Act No. 3 of 2016’ by which for the first time in the country a mandatory national monthly minimum wage was fixed payable to all workers by all employers in the country”.
The Instrument of Ratification of the ILO Convention concerning Employment Policy C 122 of 1964 was handed over by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva to Mr. Georges P. Politakis, Legal Adviser and Director of the Office of Legal Services of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 3 February 2016.
Sri Lanka is the 110th ILO Member State to have ratified this priority Convention, which is included among the four standards that are the most significant from the viewpoint of governance, giving clear signal of the Government’s commitment to actively promoting full, productive and freely chosen employment, in consultation with the social partners, bilaterally as well through the Colombo Process, the grouping of Asian Contractual Labour Sending Countries, as its Chair-in-Office.
Minister of Labour S.B. Navinne addressed the 104th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva on 05 June 2015 and highlighted the importance of formulating policies and strategies to achieve decent work for all employees to ensure social justice. In this regard, Minister Navinne stated that Sri Lanka has taken steps to establish a “National Minimum Wage” for all private sector workers.
Minister Navinne appreciated the assistance extended by ILO to Sri Lanka in number of areas including the formulation of National Human Resources and Employment Policy, National Road Map of Youth Employment, HIV & AIDS policy for the world of work, the National Strategy on Territory, Vocational Education & Provision for Vulnerable People in Sri Lanka, implementation of Labour Inspection System Application, and the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour through the implementation of Child Labour Free Zones.
Hon. Gamini Lokuge, Minister of Labour and Labour Relations has said Sri Lanka prepared a comprehensive National Human Resource and Employment Policy and its Work plan after having had extensive discussions with all relevant stakeholders including trade unions and employer representatives with the blessing of the President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“The G-15 remains convinced that the eradication of forced lablour is essential for the full enjoyment of human rights and human dignity. In this vein, the G-15 is committed to cooperate within the ILO and other agencies to combat this unlawful practice which accounts for the nearly 21 million souls that continue to be silent victims of this scourge.