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Technical Cooperation Project Summary

Project Title

Promoting Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Sri Lanka

Region/Country

South Asia/Sri Lanka

Grant Number

IL-19527-09-60-K

Project Duration

September 30, 2009 — June 1, 2011

Fiscal Year End
Funding Level

FY 2009: $402,500

Problem to be Addressed

Trust and confidence between worker and employer organizations in Sri Lanka has been eroded over time within a context of highly politicized and polarized labor relations. Sri Lanka’s labor laws have been written but not entirely in conformity with international labor standards. Workers and employers often operate under misinterpretation or misapplication of the laws, and or gaps/weaknesses still remain in ensuring decent work for workers and employers within the laws and their articles. No effective labor inspection system currently exists, and no reliable labor dispute prevention and settlement system is currently in place.

Targets
  • Workers
  • Employers
  • Labor ministry officials in charge of labor inspections
  • Worker and employer organizations
  • Sri Lankan Board of Investment representatives
  • Judges and the labor tribunals

Project Objectives
  • Strengthen capabilities of worker and employer organizations to develop policies that minimize conflict, foster bi-partite cooperation and bargaining, and improve conditions for decent work and higher levels of productivity;
  • Draft labor legislation/amend national labor laws to be more in conformity with international labor standards;
  • Promote and implement effective labor administration and labor inspection systems.
  • Strengthen the labor dispute prevention and settlement mechanism.

Summary of Activities
  • Strengthen capacity of trade unions to represent and defend the interests of their constituents and have a solid platform for cooperation between them;
  • Provide trainings for workers, employers, and their representatives of their rights and obligations under national labor legislation, the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, collective bargaining, and dispute prevention and settlement.
  • Clearly define and distinguish the roles and responsibilities of employees’ councils and trade unions;
  • Establish effective labor inspection system based on prevention and compliance with more efficient and trained labor inspectors empowered to carry out quality inspections;
  • Support and strengthen the already institutionalized system of conciliation and mediation based on the recently established ADCOR trust.

PARTNER
Organization

International Labor Organization

Contact Information

Office of Trade and Labor Affairs
Division of Trade Agreement Administration and Technical Cooperation
(202) 693-4831

Date Last Updated

October 2009