TRADE unions worldwide have condemned the latest attack on workers in Sri Lanka.
Different Global Union Federations (GUF), including the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), and trade union solidarity support organisations join the Sri Lankan trade union movement in condemning the proposed ‘Single Employment Bill’, which contains provisions that clearly violate international law, including proposals to cut wages and undermine the country’s workers’ trade union rights.
The proposed plan, dubbed a ‘slave labour bill’ by Sri Lankan trade unions, seeks to repeal 13 existing labour rules that have resulted from years of social dialogue.
Subash Karunarathna, General Secretary of the BWI-affiliated National Building and Woodworkers Union (NBWU), said that the bill aims to undo the efforts and long struggles of Sri Lankan trade unionists that led to the creation of the country’s existing labour laws.
He said: ‘The workers are forced not only to bear the brunt of the country’s economic crisis and huge debt, but also to accept diminished labour rights if the said measure is passed.
‘This will surely undo the trade unions’ efforts and struggles that shaped the very labour laws that workers enjoy today.
‘The trade unions of Sri Lanka are opposing these changes. We express our gratitude to the international trade union movement for their solidarity and support to our struggle.’
According to the NBWU, the proposed bill has a variety of anti-labour and anti-union features, including longer working hours without overtime compensation, tougher limits on the right to organise a union and strike, and easier schemes for employers to terminate workers.
The National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), a tripartite organisation that recently unilaterally dismissed four trade unions in an attempt to muzzle dissenting voices, must approve the proposed measure.
The Education International’s Asia-Pacific (EIAP) office has added the voice of educators in the region to the Global Unions Federations’ statement denouncing attempts to slash labour rights in the country.
The Global Unions Federations and affiliated trade union organisations, as well as supporting organisations, have joined the Sri Lankan trade union movement in categorically rejecting the ‘Single Employment Bill’, designed to slash the wages, conditions and trade union rights of Sri Lankan workers.
Clear breach of
international law
The unionists condemn the bill which includes multiple provisions violating international law, including:
- Removal of the 8 hour work day;
- Enabling extended shifts, up to 16 hours a day, without overtime;
- Removal of protection from unfair dismissal;
- Drastic reduction in annual leave entitlements; and
- Dismantling provisions that protect the right to unionise and to effective collective bargaining.
They also fully support the Sri Lankan union movement in demanding a halt to attempts to cut the social security savings of Sri Lankan workers, proposals to privatise public services, and the introduction of austerity measures designed to benefit the rich and foreign corporations at the expense of workers, under the guise of restructuring domestic debt.
Annihilation of progress made through ongoing social dialogue
The Employment Bill, dubbed the ‘Slave labour bill’, by Sri Lankan unions, attempts to remove 13 existing labour laws, which have been developed through social dialogue over many years, according to the statement signed by the global union federations.
At the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the parliament approved a domestic debt restructuring plan, which if implemented, will deplete the superannuation funds of workers.
The trade unions explain: ‘Superannuation funds represent a lifetime saving of workers and should not be used for anything other than themselves.
‘The actual value of people’s savings has already been diminished by inflation and the depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee; therefore, if people were forced to bear the additional burden of a reduction in the interest rate paid on their pension funds, their savings would suffer significantly.’
Demands to the Sri Lankan government
Standing in solidarity with Sri Lankan trade unions, the Global Union Federation calls upon the Sri Lankan government to:
1. Immediately halt the current labour law reform process;
2. Ensure that all future labour law reforms respect International Labour Standards set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and advance the right to decent work;
3. Request technical assistance from the ILO to conduct an audit of any proposed law reforms ensuring the reforms are consistent with Sri Lanka’s obligation to the ILO labour conventions and that the laws promote progressive realisation of economic social and cultural rights of all Sri Lankans;
4. Reinstate the four trade unions that were unlawfully removed from the National Labour Advisory Council in June 2023;
5. Reverse legislative and executive actions already taken that negatively affect the EPF/ETF (pension funds) provisions;
6. Cease efforts to privatise public services, infrastructure, and entities;
7. Work with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), unions and civil society to develop redistributive macroeconomic policies designed to advance economic rights, including through the restoration of a reasonable corporate tax rate, taxes on the digital economy, wealth taxes and the removal of harmful corporate subsidies; and
8. Implement the recommendations of the UN Independent Expert on Foreign Debt and Human Rights.
EIAP regional director Anand Singh highlighted: ‘We know that more than one million jobs have been lost in Sri Lanka because of the pandemic and gross economic mismanagement. Real wages have declined by more than 50%.
‘The government and the IMF have made this situation worse by increasing indirect taxes, removing subsidies for working people and promoting harmful privatisation, without a political mandate.
‘As a result, more than half of all Sri Lankans have reduced their food intake. And half a million families have stopped using electricity.’
‘We also remind public authorities that increasing funding in the education system and investing in teachers and education support personnel, will help the Sri Lankan society recover from Covid and build a sustainable future.
‘Education International, via its Asia-Pacific office, will continue to monitor the situation of trade union rights and support workers, especially in the education sector, in Sri Lanka.
The global unions statement says: ‘The Global Unions Federations (GUF) and its affiliated trade union organisations as well as the Trade Union Solidarity Support Organisations listed below join the Sri Lankan Trade Union movement in categorically rejecting the ‘Single Employment Bill’, designed to slash the wages, conditions and trade union rights of Sri Lankan workers. The bill includes multiple provisions that violate international law.
‘We also join the Sri Lankan union movement in demanding a halt to attempts to cut social security savings of Sri Lankan workers, proposals to privatise public services and the introduction of austerity measures designed to benefit the rich and foreign corporations at the expense of workers, under the guise of restructuring domestic debt.’
The Employment Bill, dubbed the ‘Slave labour bill, by Sri Lankan unions, attempts to remove 13 existing labour laws, which have been developed through social dialogue over many years.
The draft has only been released in the Sinhala language, violating the language rights of the minority Tamil community in Sri Lanka. It was rushed through a sham consultative process by the Labour Minister under the guise of promoting investments in Sri Lanka.
It bypassed the nationally recognised tripartite process of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC). It is also deeply concerning that four unions were arbitrarily removed from the NLAC prior to the circulation of the bill.
The Bill includes violations of international labour standards.
Global unions stand in solidarity with Sri Lankan trade unions and call upon the government to:
Signatories include:
Global Union Federations and its affiliated organisations
1. Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) Asia Pacific
2. Education International (EI) Asia Pacific
3. IndustriALL South Asia
4. International Transport Federation (ITF)
5. Public Services International (PSI) Asia Pacific Regional Organisation
6. Union Network International (UNI) Asia Pacific Regional Organisation
7. National Trade Union Federation (NTUF)-BWI
8. Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers’ Union (CMU)-IndustriALL
9. Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU)-IndustriALL
10. United Federation of Labour (UFL)-IndustriALL
Trade Union Solidarity Support Organisations
1. Solidar Suisse
2. Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
3. LO Norway
