Trade unions to draw roadmap for GSP + path
Trade unions will be holding a Delegates Conference on October 18 to draw up a roadmap to regain GSP + trade concessions from the European Union (EU) and establish a tripartite body involving all stakeholders.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had agreed to the establishment of the tripartite body involving employers, workers and unions and the state representation from the Labour Department, Board of Investment (BOI) and the Foreign Ministry, Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees’ Union Convenor and General Secretary Anton Marcus told the Business Times.
He explained that the Delegates Conference will discuss ways to regaining GSP + through the implementation of the international conventions.
In particular, the labour related conventions pertaining to the Freedom of Association and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, Mr. Marcus said were not implemented by law and practice.
When the EU granted GSP + to the country it was not for the employers or government but to ensure the living conditions of workers and people at large would be improved, he explained.
He pointed out that there were 314 garment factories with only two collective agreements entered into by two factories owned by one group.
In most other establishments workers were pressurised against forming unions and dismissed as well, Mr. Marcus alleged.
Factory owners were said to have agreed to a significant wage increase but this was yet to be carried out, it was noted.
Currently, there were about 30,000 vacancies in the apparel industry which unions allege was due to the fact that wages and working conditions were not attractive in this sector today.