ILO, European Commission and Global Deal partner to improve social dialogue for labour relations

ILO Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Simrin Singh (right) with Labour Ministry Secretary R.P.A. Wimalaweera during the MoU signing ceremony. Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakara among those who look on

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed last week between the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment and the International Labour Organization launching a long-awaited Social Dialogue and Labour Relations Diploma for the world of work actors.

The diploma is part of a wider program undertaken in the region by The Global Deal for Decent Work and Inclusive Growth and funded by the European Commission. It will be offered in Sri Lanka through a partnership between the ILO’s International Training Centre in Turin and the National Institute of Labour Studies of the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment. 

The diploma is a direct response to research that revealed that social dialogue practices require strengthening across South Asia, as these are fundamental for improving labour relations and well-being. 

The diploma will therefore primarily serve to reinforce the capacities of ILO constituents in Sri Lanka – Government, Employers and Trade Unions – and other relevant world of work actors in the areas of social dialogue and labour relations. It will also support strengthening the capacities of national entities to enforce and promote International Labour Standards (ILS) by fostering an enabling environment for social dialogue, freedom of association and collective bargaining. 

The pandemic has had a severe impact on people, labour markets and economies globally. Sri Lanka has sadly not been spared, the challenges compounded by a severe economic crisis. ILO commissioned research on “The Labour Market Implications of Sri Lanka’s Multiple Crises” (2023) has shown that these multiple crises have resulted in job losses and had a disproportionately harsh impact on women, youth, and those working in the informal economy. 

ILO Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Simrin Singh said: “An effective recovery simply cannot be achieved without social dialogue at its core. The art of social dialogue amongst the world of work actors needs urgent attention given that many of the traditional pathways to a labour market-led recovery are severely challenged. Achieving a ‘better normal’ in view of multiple crises clearly requires robust partnerships, built on the foundations of social dialogue, and based on joint understanding, efforts and commitments.”