LOLC wins Gold for social dialogue and workplace cooperation

• Labour Department ranks LOLC first under service sector category in island-wide competition

LOLC’s Head of Human Resources Pradeep Uluwaduge receiving the Gold Award from Labour and Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge

In the island-wide competition for social dialogue and workplace cooperation, organised by the Labour Department of Sri Lanka, the LOLC Group was ranked first and awarded the Gold Award under the Service Sector Large-Scale category, having competed with a number of leading private and semi-government institutions. This competition is held nationally and is aimed at building workplace harmony through the promotion of social dialogue and workplace cooperation. The competition was held under four categories namely the service sector, production sector, estate sector and apparel sector. Under each sector, three sub-sectors were identified as Large, Medium and Small. LOLC competed under the service sector large-scale category and was adjudged the winner. The award ceremony was held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute auditorium in Colombo under the patronage of Labour and Labour Relations Minister Gamini Lokuge, the Commissioner General of Labour, Herath Yapa and other senior officials. MAS Intimates and MAS Active of the MAS Group won both the Gold and Silver awards in the apparel sector large-scale category while Maliban Biscuits was selected as the winner in the manufacturing sector large scale category and Waltrim Estate of Watawala Plantations for estate sector large scale category. Head of Human Resources of LOLC, Pradeep Uluwaduge said: “We are proud to have received this achievement amidst many notable and prestigious corporate and semi-government organisations. Promoting the importance of establishing social dialogue and workplace cooperation in an organisation’s culture helps to build not only an efficient and happier workforce but a vibrant and sustainable labour market. It also enables organisations to be more consistent in their productivity and growth, while being resilient during volatile economic conditions.” “I am extremely pleased at how the LOLC Group has performed in the service sector industry and earned this prestigious recognition from the regulator, the Labour Department of Sri Lanka,” Group Managing Director/CEO Kapila Jayawardena said in a statement. Being one of the largest conglomerates in the country, the LOLC Group has diversified into numerous sectors ranging from financial services to renewable energy, leisure, construction, agriculture, plantations, manufacturing, trading and overseas operations. With more than 4,000 employees, a harmonious and strong industrial relationship has been one of the pivotal factors behind the remarkable growth which has led the group to win this prestigious award from the regulator itself. LOLC, together with its subsidiaries LOLC Micro Credit Ltd. and Commercial Leasing and Finance Plc, were chosen as three of the top five ‘Great Places to Work’ in Sri Lanka in 2013. During the same year, LOLC won a Gold Award for People Development at the SLITAD Awards. A high staff retention ratio compared with the industry average and high scores in employee satisfaction surveys conducted demonstrate strong justifications for the award won by LOLC.