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EFC launches publication on ‘Collective Bargaining and Agreements in Sri Lanka’

The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) has launched its latest publication ‘Collective Bargaining and Agreements in Sri Lanka’ (Volume 1) to provide a detailed overview of the collective agreements signed from 2022 to 2024 between EFC member companies and trade unions.

The publication is the fruit of the research efforts by the EFC’s Research and Publications Unit.

The EFC which is the national employers’ organisation and the constituent of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Sri Lanka, has consistently pursued its vision to promote industrial harmony through productive employment. Through its proactive engagement with trade unions and Government bodies, the EFC has fostered a collaborative approach to industrial relations, promoting collective bargaining as means of conflict resolution which has ensured long-term industrial harmony. Now into its 97th year and representing a diverse set of industries with over 800,000 employees in Sri Lanka, the EFC has established itself as a significant pillar in industrial relations platforms in Sri Lanka.

Collective bargaining process is a tool that can be used to create and enhance industrial relations between the employer and the employees. The foundation of the collective bargaining in Sri Lanka is a combination of statutory provisions, established practices/customs and mutual agreements. The mechanism provides a formal platform for discussion/ negotiations between employer and employee.

Through such discussions and negotiations, the employees collectively or through trade unions will have the opportunity to table their concerns while the employers will have the opportunity to put forward their expectations. This will create a relationship that is more transparent and it will further reduce the communication gap between the employer and the employee.

The first part of the monograph provides a brief snapshot of the legal framework and current practices which are applicable to the collective bargaining process in Sri Lanka, and the second part provides details of successfully signed collective agreements between 2022 and 2024.

EFC Director General, Yashoravi Bakmiwewa said the substantial number of collective agreements signed between the selected period (2022-2024) represents the current trend of adopting the collective bargaining process as a forum of discussion between the employer and the employee. “The publication aims to serve as a valuable reference for employers, HR professionals, industrial relations practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders interested in understanding the developments in remuneration and employment benefits negotiated through the collective bargaining process,” Bakmiwewa added.

The data presented in the publication constitutes a consolidated representation of salary increments, benefits, and other compensation-related information collected from multiple organisations across key industries. The publication can be purchased at the EFC