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CFL urges government to abandon USAID inspired labour reforms
The Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) has accused President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of “clandestinely” undertaking a program of labour reforms through the Ministry of Justice “to set, what is euphemistically called, a conducive environment for investment, especially Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).”
In a statement iussued last week, CFL General Secretary TMR Rasseedin said that these changes are sought to be made through the justice ministry usurping the functions of the labour ministry and called upon the government to abandon these ongoing efforts.
“At the very outset it has to be categorically stated that the mandate the government received from the country at the last Presidential and Parliamentary Elections did not include labour law reforms and that too with the assistance of a foreign agency with questionable antecedents.
“Labour reforms find no mention in President Rajapaksa’s Manifesto ‘Saubagya Dekma’. We are astonished to find that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been engaged to review labour laws with the assistance of USAID, sans involvement of the Ministry of Labour and relevant stakeholders.”
Such an exercise, if at all, should be handled by the Ministry of Labour (MoL) and not by any other agency and, by doing so, the MoJ is usurping the role and responsibilities of the MoL to oversee matters involving labour in the country, the statement said.
“We hold the view that the MoL and the Department of Labour (DoL) hold the sole responsibility to manage issues related to labour in the country and oppose such interference by outside authorities. Previous attempts to promote such reforms catering to employer demands have been successfully beaten back by trade unions.
“In 2017 during the Yahapalana period, the then Minister of Labour abdicated his role and acquiesced in allowing the Ministry of Development Strategies & International Trade, with the assistance of some surrogate unions and the USAID to initiate labour reforms which were stymied in time by a strong protest by the overwhelming majority of unions in the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), the statement said.
“This project is now being revived under the MOJ whose Minister recently earned notoriety for some uncalled for remarks on strikes, exposing the limits of his knowledge of not only international law but also our own National Workers Charter which continues to govern our labour relations. It has to be stated that unless otherwise officially retracted, the National Workers Charter constitutes the policy framework that regulates labour affairs in the country.
“We urge the Minister of Justice to take stock of the ground reality before he ventures into unfamiliar terrains such as labour reforms. In an evidence-based comparison of labour market regulations vis-a-vis FDI, CFL has found out that there is no empirical evidence to justify the type of labour law regime that capital is seeking to advance in order to enhance its profit.
“The statistics obtained by the CFL covers key East and South Asian economies such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal with which Sri Lanka is in competition to attract FDIs for export-based manufacturing industries.
“The labour markets of some of these countries are often quoted by local authorities and some policy advocates as ideally positioned for the inflow of FDIs. As verifiably evidence from the online statistical base of the Doing Business 2019 World Bank Report, labour market regulation in Sri Lanka is clearly the worst or far below average when compared with the above key regional economies “
This was in respect of matters such as Minimum Wages Statutory protection in hiring i.e. probation periods, fixed term contracts etc as well as many others, CFL said.
It said the present Minister of Labour sought to give a more precise definition to the different employment categories such as Fixed Term, etc. when he gazetted the Minimum Retirement Age of Workers Bill on 12.10.21.
“However, during its passage through Parliament, we saw the Interpretation Clause being reworked to appease employer interests. The CFL understands that the main focus of the MoJ-USAID inspired labour law reform agenda is to further whittle down clauses from our statutes such as these which protect workers and thereby pave the way for a race towards the bottom.,” the statement said.
“The politically ill-advised and cronyism-driven present exercise of the MoJ under the aegis of a foreign government development agency with a questionable political record has to be stymied before it further degrades the labour laws of the country, which even today is way below average for the region.”
The Ceylon Federation of Labour urged the government “to abandon this clandestine project without stirring unrest among the working class that may well turn out to be calamitous for the government.”
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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
The National Building Research Institute has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 16:00 hrs on 25.09.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 26.09.2026
Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama inthe Galle district, Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, and Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district.
LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in the Galle district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in the Kandy district, Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district, Thalawakelle in the Nuwara Eliya district and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Katuwana and Walasmulla in the Hambanthota district, Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district, Hatharaliyadda, Poojapitiya, Medadumbara, Kundasale, Ududumbara, Thumpane, Akurana, Pathadumbara, Harispattuwa and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Warakapola, Bulathkohupitiya, Galigamuwa, Kegalle and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kegalle district, Pitabeddara, Kotapola and Pasgoda in the Matara district, Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Elapatha, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kuruwita and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district
Parliament yesterday passed the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with two-thirds majorities, with 158 MPs voting in favour and 63 against each Bill.
The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the SJB against the Bills.
NDF MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Faizer Musthapha and SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka were not present when the votes were taken.
The final vote on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was announced at around 8.08 p.m. after Opposition MPs called for divisions on its clauses during the Committee Stage.
The votes followed a two-day debate which commenced on Thursday (24), after Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Bills for their Second Reading.
The Supreme Court’s determination on the Bills was presented to Parliament on Tuesday (22) by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Court determined that the 22nd Amendment Bill did not require approval at a referendum and could be passed by a special two-thirds majority in Parliament.
The amendment provides for raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. It also provides for the Chief Justice to retire at 67 or after completing six years in office, whichever comes earlier.
The Speaker informed Parliament that the Judicature (Amendment) Bill could be passed by a simple majority.
The SJB opposed the legislation and its MPs attended Parliament dressed in black yesterday. The party also staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme “No to 22, which destroys democracy”, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several SJB politicians participating.
A valid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Certificate will be required for a range of key transactions in Sri Lanka from November 1, 2026, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced.
The requirement, introduced under the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, applies to transactions specified under Section 102(3) of the Inland Revenue Act.
Accordingly, individuals will be required to produce a valid TIN Certificate when opening an account at a bank or financial institution, obtaining approval for a building plan, registering or renewing the licence of a motor vehicle, registering land or title to land, registering a business, transferring shares in a company incorporated in Sri Lanka or obtaining a credit card.
In the case of share transfers, both the transferor and transferee will be required to provide TIN certificates.
The IRD said officials handling such transactions had been instructed to ensure that a valid TIN Certificate was submitted before processing or completing the relevant transaction.
The Department advised those who do not already have a TIN to obtain one in advance through its e-Services platform.
It said a printout of the TIN verification result showing the applicant’s National Identity Card number and TIN could also be accepted instead of the certificate.The IRD also reiterated that obtaining a TIN is mandatory for resident individuals aged 18 and above under the applicable provisions.
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
Showers in the Western, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Batticaloa and Ampara districts.
22A, Judicature Amendment Bills passed with 2/3 majority
TIN mandatory for key transactions from Nov. 1
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