TUs reject ‘false claims’ by Labour Minister

Leading trade unions have made an appeal to President Ranil Wickremesinghe against going ahead with the proposed labour reforms as approved by the Cabinet.

A number of trade unions that are part of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) on Friday handed over a letter to the President’s Office stating that they have not agreed to the proposed labour reforms as put forward by the Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara.

The letter dated January 4, 2024 stated that the Cabinet had been submitted the proposed Labour Law Reform draft with the “false claim” that it has been discussed and approved through a tripartite forum and has been sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department for finalising of the draft.

The trade unions noted that the NLAC has not been summoned since August 19, 2023 despite repeated requests made by the NLAC unions jointly and no other forum can endorse this Labour Law Reform draft for the cabinet of ministers to approve.

This ‘false claim’ that a tripartite forum has approved the draft was given publicity to give it credence by the Government Information Department through a News Release dated October 30, 2023.

The letter further stated that despite submitting a letter to the Prime Minister raising the concerns of the trade unions and requesting a clarification on the issue they have not received any response to date.

Therefore the letter requested the President to stop proceeding with the Labour Law Reform draft until it is discussed in the NLAC in a due process with the involvement of all the NLAC trade unions and approved from the NLAC.

The letter has been signed by Anton Marcus of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union; Leslie Devendra of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya; A. Nandula of the Ceylon Bank Employees Union; S. Prabhakaran of the National Union of Workers; D.K. Jinadasa of the Ceylon Federation of Trade Unions; H.A. Piyadasa of the Ceylon Federation of Labour; Ranjan Perera of the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka; and S. Rajamany of the CWC.