ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific visits Colombo

Tuesday, 11 February 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Yoshiteru Uramoto, visited Sri Lanka from 5 to 6 February 2014, at the invitation of the Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations. During his visit Uramoto met the Prime Minister, D.M. Jayaratne, and discussed ILO’s support for Sri Lanka in a number of areas, including labour law, human resources development, industrial relations and ILO projects in the north supporting swifter, better reconciliation. The Prime Minister voiced his appreciation of the ILO’s support for Sri Lanka, and its work in helping to create employment opportunities. Uramoto also held discussions with the Minister of Labour and Labour Relations, Hon. Gamini Lokuge, covering international labour standards and labour laws, social security issues including the establishment of a social protection floor, and improving the wage fixing mechanism. He also commended the Ministry’s work and offered further support for the implementation of Sri Lanka’s Decent Work Country Program. Uramoto had productive discussions with W.J.L.U Wijayaweera, the Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations, and Mahinda Madihahewa, Secretary of the Senior Ministers’ Secretariat. They expressed appreciation for the ILO’s support, including technical assistance in the modernisation of the labour inspection system through the introduction of a computerised data collection mechanism. Wijayaweera noted the success of the LEED project which has not only contributed to reviving livelihoods and cooperatives in the north but also helped to build partnerships between north and south Sri Lanka by strengthening market linkages. He briefed Uramoto on progress towards creating a social protection floor, including reviews of existing social protection schemes and the drafting of the National Occupational Safety & Health Policy. Madihahewa thanked Uramoto for the ILO’s assistance in developing and implementing the National Human Resource and Employment Policy. Uramoto was also briefed on the Government’s progress towards ratification of Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, and eliminating child labour. The Government, with ILO assistance, has declared Ratnapura District will be a Child Labour Free Zone by 2016. There are also plans to extend this to the Kegalle and Ampara Districts. The Regional Director expressed ILO’s commitment to assisting the Government in these initiatives as well as in the areas of youth employment and boosting women’s labour force participation. During his visit the Assistant Director General addressed a meeting of the National Labour Advisory Committee (NLAC), and told delegates that he was impressed with the vibrant tripartite dialogue between the constituents. During the meeting he said that labour laws needed close attention to ensure they kept up to date with the latest developments in the workplace, particularly in the Export Processing Zone which remains a strong economic driver. He encouraged government leaders to keep abreast of the changing environment and play a more prominent role in shaping the future economy and guiding work-related issues including the labour legislation and national minimum wages. He also voiced his support for the debate on maternity benefits and commended the NLAC’s decision to extend the agreement regarding the five-day work week. He attended separate meetings with the Employers Federation of Ceylon and Trade Unions. Uramoto also visited some of the donors who support ILO work in Sri Lanka and thanked them for their backing. At the end of his very successful two-day visit he reiterated ILO’s support to the people of Sri Lanka in promoting decent work and ensuring social justice in the world of work.