Steps are being taken to prepare the new integrated labour law to avoid the complexities of the existing employment statutes, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara, recently told the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Labour and Foreign Employment affairs.

The Minister said they will start taking opinions and suggestions of all relevant parties from 02 May.The Minister said the country’s industrial law, which is currently scattered and complex, is expected to be converted into an integrated labour law, and it is an essential step to encourage local and foreign investors.

Thus, the new consolidated law will make the settlement of disputes between employers and employees easier. The Minister also said that these new laws will make the establishing and operating of business activities smoother, especially for foreign investors.

The attention of the Committee was also paid to businesses that are not registered in the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF). The Minister pointed out that only 80,000 business companies are registered in the Employees Provident Fund.

The Committee members said that immediate action should be taken against unregistered companies. Accordingly, it was decided to inform all divisional secretaries and local government commissioners, in writing, to send information about businesses, registered in different parts of the island, to the Ministry of Labour.

Also, the Minister instructed the Department of Labour and the Employees’ Provident Fund to submit a plan of possible future actions against companies that have not registered, within a month.The Minister also instructed the Foreign Employment Bureau to implement a programme to educate people about foreign employment.

The head of the Foreign Employment Bureau said that nearly 90,000 people, including 26,000 unskilled workers and over 60,000 skilled workers, have been sent for foreign jobs recently.

Meanwhile, MP Yadamini Gunawardena expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the Sri Lanka-Romania Parliamentary Friendship Association, for the steps taken to establish a Sri Lanka Embassy in Romania to solve the problems of Sri Lankans working there.

State Ministers Jagath Pushpakumara, D.B. Herath, members of Parliament, Vadivel Suresh, Akila Ellawala, Udayana Kirindigoda, Madhura Withanage, Yadamini Gunawardena, Velu Kumar, (Major) Sudarshana Denipitiya were also present at the committee meeting.