News update

Focused Enhancement and Revitalization for an Effective NLAC - Tripartite Study Tour to South Africa

The ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives has organised a tripartite study tour to South Africa from 20th - 25th August, at the request of the tripartite constituents

News | Colombo, Sri Lanka | 21 August 2018
The ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives has organised a tripartite study tour to South Africa from 20th - 25th August, at the request of the tripartite constituents. The Minister of Labour Hon Ravindra Samaraweera is leading the Sri Lankan delegation to South Africa. This study tour is expected to inform the process underway in Sri Lanka to enhance the effectiveness and impact of Sri Lanka’s National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC). NLAC is Sri Lanka’s national tripartite consultative mechanism established to provide a space for consultation and co-operation between the government and the organizations of workers and employers at the national level on matters relating to social and labour policies and international labour standards. The South African counterpart of the NLAC, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), was established in 1994. NEDLAC is South Africa’s national-level tripartite social dialogue institution, and was established by President Nelson Mandela, as the tripartite institution responsible for negotiating South Africa’s post-apartheid social and economic policies. The delegation will also study South Africa’s collective bargaining system, and the Commission for Conciliation, mediation and Arbitration.

A tripartite task team has been established by the Ministry of Labour to develop recommendations to the Minister, for the strengthening of the NLAC. The study tour will provide a key opportunity to expedite the NLAC enhancement activities through providing the study tour participants with an opportunity, within a developing country and South-South cooperation context to (1) develop an understanding of the labour policy and legislation that underpins tripartism, social dialogue, and dispute resolution, (2) develop a practical understanding of the nature, composition and operations of national-level social dialogue and dispute resolution institutions, and (3) facilitate the NLAC enhancement initiative. As part of this trip, participants will meet with individuals and organisations involved in collective bargaining, workplace cooperation, national tripartite social dialogue, and dispute resolution mechanisms.

This tour and it’s follow up actions will serve as notable steps towards the achievement of Sri Lanka’s Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP: 2018-2022) core outcome area: institutionalisation and operationalisation of effective systems for social dialogue and tripartism, and enhanced role of national tripartite social dialogue in labour and policy making.