Employers demand hire and fire rights
With the latest move by Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara to promote the adoption of hire and fire rights by employers aimed at making it easier to dismiss workers, unions allege this could lead to job insecurity and exploitation.
The hire and fire rights will accord employers the ability to recruit workers when they want and remove them from their jobs as they please with no consent required from the Labour Commissioner or the employees as per the labour laws currently in place.
The minister was not contactable despite several calls to his mobile phone. FTZ and General Services Union Secretary Anton Marcus said the authorities are looking at reintroducing the 2019 draft bill that was defeated by the trade unions back then.
He noted that the flexible working hours that are to be introduced will abolish the Wages Board system.
Under the Wages Board there are 46 boards that have identified different wages for the different job types. This is to be abolished and as a result of this each and every employer will have the ability to decide the terms and conditions like the working hours within which the employees can be recruited and this will clearly impact on the vast majority of the private sector workforce, the unions state.
At present the terms and conditions are decided through a tripartite system at the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) with the trade unions, the employers and the authorities.
Mr. Marcus also explained that under this system the employer will reserve the right to terminate any employee on the basis of productivity.
In reference to the comments made by the Minister on night work, the trade unionist noted that under the new system without any consent of the workers they will be compelled to work not just ten days but even on all working days.
Meanwhile, the FTZ Union filed a case on Monday in courts against the expulsion of the FTZ union from the NLAC.
In the meantime, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is due to have a discussion with the authorities on the complaints submitted by the trade union.
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