Five day week: SL private sector wants it, unions oppose it, workers unsure
View(s):COLOMBO – A 5-day week with the weekend off would surely warm the hearts of many, hard-working Sri Lankan workers but unions here are opposing the move for different reasons. Some workers say they are happy to get two off days but are unaware that this process could find their overtime, a valuable component of the monthly wage, reduced, Sanjeewa, a garment worker, was also unaware of the proposed reduced working week. “Five-day week? Ah … is that happening? If so it would be good”. Sri Lanka follows a 45 hour work week in line with ILO conventions currently spaced to 8 hours daily from Monday to Friday and five hours on Saturday. Female workers are entitled to 60 hours overtime per month while their male counterparts get unlimited overtime.
The government some months ago proposed a 5-day week with an additional hour per day to make up for abandoning the Saturday half-day. This in line with long-standing demands by employers to close factories and offices at the weekend citing rising costs of production from the use of power, air conditioners and water on Saturday. More than 200,000 mostly female workers are employed at the country’s free trade zones. Dhammika Fernando, President of the Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association, says that keeping factories open on a Saturday is costly, uneconomical and a ‘white elephant’. “There is low productivity and workers don’t work. They idle and we are paying.”
Unions say a 5-day week will deprive workers of overtime. Anton Marcus, General Secretary of the Free Trade Zone and General Services Union, says the government is siding with employers in pushing a 5-day week where workers will be on their feet for over nine hours a day with no overtime because they would be too tired or not get overtime. “That’s not correct,” argues Mr. Fernando who manages a jewellery plant at one of the zones. “Companies are willing to allow overtime during the week. Some of our member firms are willing to even pay overtime for the extra hour per day.” Female workers normally get about two hours overtime per day based on orders.
However Mr. Marcus says workers are exhausted working long hours and if the new rule comes in it would be a 10-hour day (inclusive of a one hour break) plus 1-2 hours of overtime. Already physically unfit, their health would further suffer if they are to work extra hours. Present rules however permit companies to implement a 5-day week, which is happening in some cases, with the consent of workers. Unions are not opposed to this arrangement. What they object to is legalising this informal process and then forcing it on the workers. Shanthini, another 24-year old worker, says she has to work as many hours as possible to send money to her home in the village and pay other debts.
Health and safety issues aside, many like Shanthini want to work more and even forego the weekend if overtime is available.
“If they earn 20,000 rupees (about US$138) a month which includes many hours of overtime, at least 15,000 rupees is sent home and they manage with a measly 5,000 rupees for food and accommodation. They are eternally in debt to the local shop, eat very little and often sick though they work,” said Mayura. Dharmawardena – Coordinator, All Ceylon Federation of Free Trade & National Workers Congress. Though the stipulated government basic wage is 10,400 rupees per month, employers says companies offer more at 14,000 rupees and a take home of 20,000 rupees which is much higher than working outside the zones.
“Wages are high in the zones,” asserts Mr. Fernando. But workers are on their feet for nine hours a day, often skipping meals to meet targets which are tied to financial incentives connected to the final take-home pay. “Some of them don’t even drink water to avoid going to the toilet and lose time,” said trade unionist Mr. Marcus. Recent studies show workers suffer from anemia and a host of other ailments due to lack of proper food and overwork. Incentive bonuses and other financial benefits are invariably tied to targets and higher productivity. Conditions in boarding houses where most of the women, from rural villages, live are also in appalling conditions. A senior official at the Labour Ministry says the 5-day week is only permitted if both parties – employers and workers agree. ILO officials in Colombo last December unavailable for comment. (This was written as part of an ILO training course in Turin, Italy – FEIZAL)