Sri Lankan garments industry exempt from services regulations
09/12/2006
The Sri Lankan government’s decision to remove the garment export industry from a newly-established essential services regulation—which restricts the workers’ right to strike—has been welcomed by the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF).
Speaking after a meeting with Sri Lankan government representatives, Neil Kearney, general secretary of ITGLWF, said that the ordinance which was issued in August was “grossly flawed” in that it included a wide range of industries, including garments, as essential services in which the right to strike would be restricted, in violation of international standards on freedom of association.
He stated, “Governments should not establish such all-embracing essential services regulations. While governments may restrict the right to strike in genuine essential services, they must put in place arbitration systems which have the confidence of all parties to resolve disputes.”
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