Labour FPAR Country Briefer: Sri Lanka

Despite the ratification of Convention No. 87 and 98 in Sri Lanka, union-busting persists. In Free Trade Zones across the country, the right to organize is allowed but can only be exercised through the tripartite structure called the ‘Workers Council,’ which does not adequately represent the interests of women workers. Through the FPAR journey, women workers in FTZ can exercise their rights to organize and enhance their leadership capabilities by forming an independent union in Katunayake FTZ and some Northern provinces. They establish a union branch and ensure women workers’ participation in the decision-making process by entrusting them to serve on board committees.

Check out APWLD’s country briefers based on our FPAR findings and initiatives in Sri Lanka, conducted by the Women’s Centre Sri Lanka and Stand Up Movement Lanka. These briefers have also been disseminated at the 111th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.