Minimum employment age to be upped from 14 to 16

The Government has decided to amend Sri Lanka’s labour laws, changing the minimum age of employment from 14 to 16 years of age to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, which falls today, 12 June.

Cabinet approval was granted to amend the labour laws to increase the minimum age of employment to 16 years, to comply with the compulsory schooling age – to ensure that all children in the country are entitled to the privileges and rights as per the international Convention on Rights of the Child, the Government Information Department said in a short statement.

Under this decision the following laws will be changed. Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act No. 19 of 1954 (Cap 129), Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act No. 47 of 1956, (Cap 135) Minimum Wages (Indian Labour) ordinance amendment Act, Factories Ordinance No. 45 of 1942 and orders published in Extraordinary Gazette dated 31 October 1958, in accordance with the provisions of Employees Provident Fund Act No. 15 of 1958.