In a bid to ensure a smooth sailing going forward, the local apparel sector and key industry trade unions entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure business owners and employees work together to iron out issues in the industry.

A historic agreement was signed between Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka (JAAF) and the Union Collective to ensure that the employers and employees work in partnership to maintain continued vigilance on pandemic prevention, discuss issues of mutual interest and jointly participate in addressing grievances, a statement to the media said.

According to the agreement, a Bipartite Dispute Resolution Mechanism will be established to jointly address worker grievances in a transparent manner. The MoU essentially recognises employees’ freedom of association and their rights to collective bargaining.

Meanwhile, a second agreement was also inked which highlights the approach employers and the unions will take to collaborate and assess efforts to manage the negative impact of the pandemic on all stakeholders.