Thursday May 28, 2026
Thursday May 28, 2026
Wednesday, 27 May 2026 00:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the appointment of a committee to recommend reforms to the recruitment and regulation of manpower employees in State-owned enterprises, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday.
Addressing the post-Cabinet media briefing, Dr. Jayatissa said State enterprises had increasingly relied on external manpower agencies to recruit workers on a temporary basis instead of making direct appointments for core operational activities.
He said many such workers had remained attached to the same institutions for extended periods, while additional temporary employees had also been recruited over time.
Dr. Jayatissa said the practice had created a category of workers performing duties similar to permanent employees but without job security, statutory benefits or proper legal recognition.
“This situation is a departure from the basic labour concept of equal pay for equal work,” he said.
The Minister said Sri Lanka was required to safeguard worker rights and welfare in line with the International Labour Organization Private Employment Agencies Convention, making it necessary to amend existing legal provisions governing manpower agency workers.
He said the committee would submit recommendations on legal and regulatory reforms required to address the issue, while safeguarding the interests of manpower employees who had already been engaged for long periods in the core activities of State enterprises.
