Trade unions slam govt. over excluding worker representation from pandemic-related decision-making process

Sri Lanka’s trade unions expressed their displeasure over completely sidelining them from key COVID-19 Task Force meetings, as workers continued to get battered by the ongoing pandemic and pandemic-related travel restrictions.

Trade union leaders made these remarks during a meeting with Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, on Wednesday.

Although the government must have involved trade union representatives in formulating health guideline for the private sector, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union Joint Secretary Anton Marcus lamented that there has been zero involvement of trade union representatives in these exercises. 

Further, he noted that even Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had also been sidelined from such national level meetings and the decision-making process, hence, he pointed out that the country’s private sector workers didn’t have any way to submit their feedbacks and inputs.

In responding de Silva noted that he called the meeting with trade union representatives to seek inputs from trade union representatives before the reopening of the country on October 1, upon a request from Finance Minister Basil Rajapakse.

Meanwhile, Nidhahas Sevaka Sangamaya General Secretary Leslie Devendra informed the minister that the trade unions are now preparing to directly make complaints on labour rights violations to foreign brands of their local sourcing partners, due to slow progress in investigating these alleged labour violations by the authorities.

In responding, the minister promised to call another meeting to specifically discuss on delays in pursing legal actions against these employers, shortly.