EFC urges government to ease working hours of employees
View(s):The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) is urging the Government to introduce an amendment to the labour legislation easing the working hours of employees. The EFC made two specific proposals to the Government prior to the budget to create the necessary environment for investment promotion, especially taking into account the potential that Sri Lanka has in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry, it said in a media release.
The EFC’s proposals revolve around the spread of working hours over five days of the week and the regularising of night work for women under the Shop and Office Employees Act.
It pointed out that, although both these issues have been taken up for discussion and is still being discussed at the National Labour Advisory Council during the last two years, the necessary amendments to legislation seem a far cry.
At a meeting held at Temple Trees recently, chaired by the President, at which business chambers and associations were invited to make their proposals, EFC Director General Ravi Peiris once again reiterated the importance of bringing in the necessary amendments to legislation in respect of these two matters.
The media release quoted Mr. Peiris as saying that these are not contentious issues for trade unions to oppose as changes in such work arrangements are imperative in the context of the world of work today.
The spread of working hours over five days of the week will take place only in work places where such a work arrangement is required and there is mutual agreement between the management and the workers for such an arrangement.
This would enable workers to have an extra day’s weekly holiday, whereas the company will benefit by a more efficient operation during five days instead of 5-1/2 days, the media release said.
Referring to night work for women, the EFC has requested an extension of the exemption that is already granted to certain categories of employees under the Shop and Office Employees Act to be extended to the IT enabled services and super markets.
The EFC appealed to the President to give due importance to these two matters as it directly impinges on creating an enabling environment for business to operate more efficiently and productively.
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