Rumpus in EFC over new appointment

The professional staff of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon last week have written to several of the companies it represents, charging that the trustees had appointed a Director-General for the EFC from outside who allegedly had no knowledge of the law and had no prior experience in the highly-complex labour administration and laws. 

The new individual is a highly-respected marine and chartered engineer and was a former CEO of a listed company before undertaking several Government posts under the previous regime.

The EFC holds a tradition of appointing a senior lawyer from within the EFC as the Chief Executive Officer, given the complexity. They alleged the trustees had hidden the real facts from the Council, which is the decision-making body. There is also concern among the professional staff that some of the people taking decisions have a poor understanding of the role of the EFC. 

The EFC has also made a huge investment in a land and hopes to invest in a modern secretariat. The EFC already has a five-storeyed building in Kotte. 

Some members are inquiring about the need for a new building, given the future after COVID-19. The decision had been made during the former Chairman’s term. 

Established in 1929, the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) is the national employers’ organisation in Sri Lanka. Initially, the EFC was mainly involved in ‘firefighting’ and settlement of industrial disputes. 

EFC is an organisation which commands the attention of the policymakers in relation to labour policy and the EFC plays a very important role in terms of lobbying for labour reforms and changes in policy in the interest of employers in Sri Lanka.