Trade unions (TUs) have requested the Government to take immediate steps to change the existing labour disputes settlement process.

The request was made during a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Labour, Mahinda Jayasinghe and the Public Service Labour Officers’ Union held at the Labour Ministry premises in Narahenpita. Accordingly, Jayasinghe’s attention was drawn to the issues faced by labour officers. Discussions first focused on areas such as the acceptance of employee complaints, examination, and the prompt settlement of labour complaints received by the Department of Labour. During the discussion, it was revealed that there are several issues with the current complaints-handling system, which have hindered the timely resolution of complaints. Accordingly, it was proposed to update the disputes settlement process, and to digitise the relevant areas.

It was also noted that the current salary code for labour officers is inaccurate, and that a special salary code should be introduced based on their qualifications.

Discussions were also held in a bid to submit a Cabinet paper to address the issue.

It was further emphasised that the initiative to expedite the collection of Employees’ Provident Fund funds could be made more successful by simultaneously motivating labour officers.