Employers Federation expands reach to Jaffna, Hambantota

The Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) has successfully signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Yarlpanam Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce as the first step to extending its services to businesses across the country.

The EFC already represents a wide variety of industries, from plastics to plantations and practically the entire financial and service sector, to name a few. However its membership has been fairly Colombo-centric until the launch of a new initiative with the signing of two MoUs with Hambantota and Jaffna’s Chambers of Commerce.

Whilst the Government rebuilds Jaffna’s infrastructure, the Yarlpanam Chamber of Commerce and Industries has taken on the development of the small and medium industry sector in the district. “If we had not had 30 years of war, Jaffna would be flush like Singapore,” said Poonarchandran, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam.

“Around 95% of the people living in Jaffna are peace loving citizens of Sri Lanka. Because of the war we lost all our wealth, but today we have been entrusted with a big task of developing Jaffna. I am really pleased to sign this MoU with the EFC, an organisation with more than 80 years of service in Sri Lanka. Our chamber is only 10 years old so the EFC is like an 80-year-old mother feeding and helping her 10-year-old child.”

When asked how he thought his chamber could best make use of the EFC’s services, he mentioned EFC’s skill in advising on labour law. “In developing the SMEs we have entered into many Public-Private Partnership agreements and are encountering various legal labour impediments. I am sure that the EFC can come forward and solve these labour problems for us.”

For Hambantota District’s Chamber of Commerce Director Suresh De Mel, the alliance with the EFC is a “dream come true”.  

Like the Jaffna Chamber, the 18-year-old Hambantota Chamber’s members are also mainly small and medium enterprises. “The regions are notorious for expecting a handout,” he said. “But this is an example of a ‘hand up,’ where we are going to be helped to empower rural organisations.”

As a former President of the Business for Peace Alliance and himself a member of the EFC for over 20 years, De Mel is passionate about the role of business as a generator of peace for the country.

“In Sri Lanka the biggest challenge at the moment is sustainability of peace. I believe that if we do not create more formal structures at the district level, then the Western Province and Colombo will keep developing much faster and the gap between the regions and Colombo will continue to widen so it will be tougher for us to sustain peace. This is a groundbreaking initiative by the EFC and I hope other organisations in Colombo will follow suit and join chambers in the regions.”

For De Mel, the EFC’s advisory services on business development and formalisation were where he felt Hambantota’s industries would most benefit. “I personally have not had a labour tribunal case in the 20 years that I have been a member of the EFC. Even small issues that we have had have been handled so well and professionally with the legal advice we have got from then EFC.”

EFC Director General Ravi Peiris added his appreciation saying it was an honour and a privilege to sign up with Yarlpanam and Hambantota. “Emphasis on good workplace relations is the message that we would like to spread in the country. We will be able to do that with the support of regions like Jaffna and Hambantota.”

The full range of the EFC’s services, from legal representation and advice on labour and industrial relations issues as well as training and publications on human resource management, will now be on offer to the fast expanding business communities in Hambantota and Jaffna.

EFC’s Chairman Brito expressed his delight at the first phase of this initiative to extend the EFC’s support beyond the Western Province. “We’ve got to give the SMEs in various sectors a lot of support and this is one way of moving forward on this.”

EFC Deputy Director General Kanishka Weerasinghe, who is overlooking the regional expansion initiative, said the signing was “an important milestone in the EFC’s history and we hope to have similar meaningful partnerships with other regional employers organisations and speak in one voice”.

The signing, which coincided with a South Asian meeting of Employers Organisations hosted by the ILO, was witnessed by its Country Director Donglin Li and other international delegates from the South Asia region.

Li congratulated the EFC on yet another “groundbreaking” initiative and said it had the full support and backing of the ILO.