EU team examines SL’s labour laws ahead of GSP+ approval
A 7-member delegation which includes two European Union (EU) parliamentarians visited Sri Lanka on Monday on a fact finding mission to examine the prevailing labour laws and submit a report to the EU regarding the impending GSP+ concessions.
The delegation was expected to meet President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the ministers of Labour, and Development Strategies and International Trade and all stakeholders of the industry including those of the garment industry during a 3-day visit. The MPs were from the Netherlands and Spain while the rest of the delegation was made up of representatives of global unions.
Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya General Secretary Leslie Devendra briefing reporters on Friday April 7 (ahead of the visit) said that five trade unions affiliated to the Industriall Sri Lanka Council have decided to make representation to the delegation.
He said when Sri Lanka enjoyed the benefits of the GSP+ concession in the past before it was suspended, employees of garment factories did not receive any benefits from this facility despite their sweat and toil in garment factories. Those who enjoyed the full benefits from GSP+ were only the owners of garment factories.
“Although the GSP+ concessions focused attention on human rights issues it did not look at other issues such as labour rights violation in Sri Lanka,” Mr. Devendra said.
He added that while trade unions were not opposed to granting GSP+ concessions to Sri Lanka, the benefits should go to workers as well apart from owners of garment factories.
Referring to formation of trade unions in garment factories, he said the owners often disrupt the formation of trade unions by resorting to arm twisting methods to discourage workers from engaging in trade union activity.
“Unless these issues are not resolved the employees will not benefit from GSP+. We have submitted to the European Union the names of eight garment factories in Sri Lanka that suppressed and infringed the rights of its employees with regard to trade union action.”
He said although state employees enjoyed the freedom to engage in trade union activity the majority of the employees in the private sector do not have any trade unions at their work places.
Anton Marcus, Joint Secretary of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union, said while the government’s intention is to create one million new jobs, already 20,000 jobs are vacant in the garment sector while 700,000 vacancies exist in the private sector.
Sri Lankans however are not attracted to these jobs due to unfavourable terms of employment in hiring people. He said while the minimum salary scale stipulated in the Wages Ordinance was Rs. 13,500, workers who sweat and toil in their work places can only earn up to Rs. 20,000 per month.
H said a survey conducted by them had found that US$235 was needed to upkeep and maintain a family of four persons but today employees draw only up to $90, adding that this was the main reason why people are not attracted to these jobs.
Mr. Marcus said GSP+ will facilitate in the export of 7200 items from Sri Lanka to 27 countries in the EU without any tax being imposed on them.
However EU citizens pay such taxes to help those in the Third World countries to uplift their living conditions. “There wouldn’t have been 20,000 vacancies in the garment sector and 700,000 vacancies in the private sector had the benefits of the earlier GSP+ concessions been given to its employees,” he said.
He said although Sri Lanka had signed many International Labour Organisation conventions, the required laws have not been passed to implement them. Employees of the newly set up garment factories in the north and east have not been paid several allowances to its employees. Of the 8 million workforce in the country only 10 per cent today belong to trade unions, he said. Linus Jayatilake, President of Public Service Trade Union Federation and President of the United Federation of Labour, also spoke.