Sri Lanka gears to introduce new Employment Act

Sri Lanka is gearing up to introduce a new Employment Act, Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardana said yesterday.
He said the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara in collaboration with trade unions, employers, and other stakeholders, has developed a concept paper outlining the key provisions for a new Employment Act. 

This concept paper was reviewed during a meeting held on August 7, 2023 and it was decided by the Cabinet of Ministers to present this concept paper to the tripartite committee, which represents employers, employees, and the government that operates under the Prime Minister’s Office.
The aim was to engage in further discussions with all relevant parties and gather their input and recommendations.

Subsequently, the committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, had studied the concept paper and submitted a report containing recommendations regarding specific issues that require attention. 
In response to these recommendations and the initial concept paper presented by the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, the Cabinet of Ministers this week decided to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft a bill. 
This bill will be based on the recommendations and the concept paper, addressing the matters outlined in the report submitted by the Prime Minister’s committee, Gunawardana said.