Minimum wage for each sector proposed

Come 2007 the government is promising a facelift to Sri Lanka’s archaic labour laws that would lead to a sector-based minimum wages mechanism and the eventual establishment of a home-grown national labour standard. This follows a continuous clamouring from the private sector urging the government to hasten labour reforms that facilitate economic development and improves competitiveness.

Secretary of Labour and Labour Relations Mahinda Madihahewa told The Sunday Times FT that as many as 45 labour related enactments are currently being reviewed by a tripartite labour reforms committee, a sub- committee of the National Labour Advisory Council. He said that a final committee report is due at the end of the month and reforms would come into play as early as the first quarter of 2007.

Topping the reforms agenda is the merging of wage boards to cover each sector.