EFC urges Govt. to create enabling environment for investment promotion

The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) has made two specific proposals to the Government prior to the Budget in order to create the necessary environment for investment promotion, especially taking into account the potential that Sri Lanka has in relation to the BPO industry.

The EFC’s proposals revolve around the spread of working hours over five days of the week and the regularising of night work for women under the Shop and Office Employees Act.

The EFC has pointed out that although both these issues have been taken up for discussion and are still being discussed at the National Labour Advisory Council during the last two years, the necessary amendments to legislation seem a far cry.

At a meeting held at Temple Trees recently, chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at which business chambers and associations were invited to make their proposals, EFC Director General Ravi Peiris once again reiterated the importance of bringing in the necessary amendments to legislation in respect of these two matters.

He said that these were not contentious issues for trade unions to oppose as changes in such work arrangements are imperative in the context of the world of work today.

The spread of working hours over five days of the week will take place only in work places where such a work arrangement is required and there is mutual agreement between the management and the workers for such an arrangement. This would enable workers to have an extra day’s weekly holiday, whereas the company will benefit by a more efficient operation during five days instead of five-and-a-half days.

With regard to night work for women, the EFC has requested an extension of the exemption that is already granted to certain categories of employees under the Shop and Office Employees Act to be extended to the IT-enabled services and supermarkets.

The EFC requested President Rajapaksa to give due importance to these two matters as it directly impinges on creating an enabling environment for business to operate more efficiently and productively.

Above all else, it was pointed out that it would facilitate employment generation especially among women, and consequently increase the low female labour participation rate in Sri Lanka.