EU wants more reforms on labour, other issues
A European Union delegation visiting Sri Lanka last week met trade union officials and found that there are more reforms needed on the labour front.
Trade unionists representing the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS), the FTZ and General Services Employees Union, the National Union of Metal and Migrant Workers, the Ceylon Workers Congress, the National Trade Union Federation and the United Federation of Labour were present at the meeting.
The delegation raised the issue of collective bargaining and freedom of association with the relevant government authorities subsequent to their meeting with the trade unions.
It had observed that the standard of the labour rights in Sri Lanka was “generally good,” EU Political, Trade and Communications Section Head Paul Godfrey told the Business Times on Thursday.
He noted that the trade unions had pointed out that the issues of collective bargaining when the 14 per cent threshold is used, and that the FTZ needs to be an area where freedom of association has to be allowed.
Issuing a media release the EU stated that while the visiting officials had praised the government’s progress made in advancing human rights, labour and environmental standards, they had stressed that there were still many areas where reform had “yet to be delivered.”
During the meeting the TUs had asked for increased information on access to the EU which the relevant officials said was already available and which would be provided to them.
The delegation also met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other civil society officials as well to assess the ground situation concerning progress on key areas based on the conditions attached to obtaining GSP+ to Sri Lanka.
Mr. Godfrey further noted that the government still needs to work on the issues of torture and the Prevention of Terrorism Act which is not in line with international standards.
The EU hopes there would be a replacement of the legislation and that under the Code of Criminal Procedure the right of suspects to have access to a lawyer would be allowed.
Moreover, the visiting delegation had raised concerns about the pace of the return of lands; unaccounted persons; legal discrimination against women and girls regarding early marriage, marital rape and rights of abortion.
Clear benchmarks would be stated within the next two years by the EU regarding the progress and the report on the outcome of these assessments would be submitted in a report to the EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers in January 2018, he said.