Sri Lanka’s 4th Decent Work Country Programme launched

Sri Lanka’s fourth Decent Work Country Programme ( DWCP) was launched in Colombo last week, following a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, the ILO and organisations representing the workers and employers.

It was signed by the Ministry, the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC); the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS), the National Trade Union Federation ( NTUF), the Ceylon Workers Congress ( CWC), the Ceylon Federation of Trade Unions (CFTU), the Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU), for and on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, employers’ organisations, and workers’ organisations; and the ILO.

In a media release issued on the occasion, ILO Country Director Ms. Simrin Singh was quoted as thanking the signatories, “without whose passion, vigour, and engagement this DWCP could not have been developed.” S. A. N. Saranatissa, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, expressed his confidence that “through the new DWCP, the government, employers’ and workers’ organisations as well as the ILO, can achieve the maximum outcome for sustainable development of the country in the next five years.”

The release said the DWCP is an important milestone as it sets out how the tripartite constituents of the ILO can cooperate to deliver dignity, equality, protection and prosperity in the world of work for Sri Lanka’s women, men and youth, now and in the future. VicePresident of the CWC ( Legal & Administration) Mr. K. Marimuttu endorsed it, observing “it is a great asset to the country.”

K. Weerasinghe, Director General of the EFC observed, “the DWCP is important for employers to promote sustainable business practices. As we look to the future, we need to integrate issues such as diverse forms of employment and create a platform for changes in the world of work that are taking place through digitalisation and automation.”

The 2018- 2022 Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for Sri Lanka was devised in partnership with the constituents of the ILO (state, employers’ and workers’ organisations); relevant ministries; district government officials; cooperatives; UN agencies and others, beginning in late July 2017 and ending in late April 2018. “This DWCP was developed through a very intensive tripartite consultation process,” commented D. W. Subasinghe, General Secretary of the CFTU.

Anton Marcus, Joint Secretary of the FTZGSEU explained that more than before, his union had been fully engaged in the preparation of the new DWCP, which needs to be delivered with “adaptability to the changes and trends in the country.” NTUF General Secretary P. Ranawakaarachchi also confirmed how in the spirit of tripartism, all the constituents “worked really hard towards developing the DWCP and are fully committed to support this.”

The four country priorities of the DWCP are the creation of sustainable, inclusive and decent employment; better governance of the labour market; rights at work for all; and greater data and knowledge generation. Some new elements in the DWCP are inclusion of persons with disability into the labour market, gender equality and equity, climate resilience, and data and knowledge generation. These outcomes are aligned with national policy frameworks and the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

As L. Devendra, General Secretary of the SLNSS concluded, “We all have to work together collectively and take action to implement this DWCP so that years after, we can be proud of our contribution to the country.”