Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena requested the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to assist the government’s initiative to introduce a dispute prevention and resolution mechanism to public service. 

He made this request when ILO Country Director Joni Simpson called on the Prime Minister at the Temple Trees today (01 Feb.), together with United Nations Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche.

The delegation thanked the Prime Minister for the initiative taken in this regard and obtaining the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers for the proposal. 

They assured the Prime Minister their fullest support to implement the proposed mechanism, which would not only result in resolving disputes, but also the prevention of disputes in future through a system of tripartite dialogue. 

Prime Minister Gunawardena briefed them on the impact the Covid pandemic and the economic crisis had on the labour workforce, and the short-term and long-term steps taken by the government towards economic recovery while also aiding labourers, particularly those within the low-income range.

He further stressed that the government was very keen to make the country’s labour workforce upwardly mobile and thus explained the multitude of training programmes launched for skill development. 

“Increasing the quality and quantity of jobs is the surest way of moving people out of poverty”, he said.

He said Sri Lanka has implanted the ILO regulations on the labour work force and provided opportunities for both, men and women, to obtain productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.

Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake and UN Country Office Analyst Nethali Madawala also took part in the discussion.