Sri Lanka stands out in workers' rights

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

Sri Lanka has stood tall in relation to the observance of the ILO fundamental principles relating to rights at work, said Director General Employers' Federation of Ceylon (EFC) Ravi Peiris.

He was speaking at the ILO's 90th anniversary celebrations at the President's House in Colombo on Tuesday. He said that the signing of the MoU for a National Framework on Social Dialogue was a significant landmark reached in the history of industrial relations in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is today placed at a critical juncture in the context of preserving and sustaining employment and it is extremely important to accept this reality and look at new work arrangements to be more efficient and productive, he said.

As we move towards implementing the decent work country program we should not ignore the realities that confront us, especially in the current global recession, because Decent Work means working towards continuous improvement and eradicating obstacles which hinder employment without creating employment and sustainability", he said.

Peiris said that the processes and standards that need to be pursued in promoting Decent Work cannot be uniform and must depend on the country's socio economic situation.

Appreciating the work of ILO over the years, he said that the EFC is confident that it will find ways to respond to the real needs of its members and show itself as being a credible contributor to the policies and actions that would help sustain enterprises.