Sad Employers

Dec 11, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's Employer's Federal of Ceylon (EFC) an industry body representing large firms said it was disappointed over a delay in two key labour law reforms that were agreed upon earlier. The EFC has been making representations through the National Labour Advisory Council, a body representing the state, unions and employers to allow firms have a five day working week by spreading Saturday working hours over five days.

EFC had also asked for rules relating to women working in the night to be relaxed which would allow females to work in business process outsourcing industries.

The EFC says agreement was reached at the NLAC for draft amendments to labour laws to be presented at a meeting last week by the ministry of labour.

Instead the ministry had said that a six-month "administrative relaxation" that had been allowed would be extended for another year.

EFC said it had written to the minister of labour urging the minister to take "immediate steps" go forward on the amendments which it said were "imperative to achieving the development goals set by the government."

"It also pointed out that the already poor rate of female participation in Sri Lanka’s labour force