Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Sri Lanka (Ratification: 1972)

The Committee notes the Government's report.

1. Further to its previous comments on the need to adopt legislative provisions in order to ensure full conformity with the requirements of Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention, the Committee notes the Government's statement that a draft bill on employment and industrial relations ensuring full conformity with Articles 1 and 2 is under consideration. The Committee trusts that the future legislation will ensure the full protection of workers against acts of anti-union discrimination and of workers' organizations against acts of interference by employers and their organizations accompanied by effective and sufficiently dissuasive sanctions, in accordance with the requirements of the Convention. It requests the Government to supply a copy of this legislation as soon as it is adopted.

2. Further to its previous request for information on any progress made in collective bargaining in the free trade zones, the Committee notes that the Government indicates that collective agreements have been signed between the members of the employees' councils in enterprises and the management but that these agreements have not been registered with the Department of Labour. The Committee requests the Government to provide more detailed and concrete information in this respect.