Events and meetings

December 2012

1. Participation of Women in the Sri Lankan Labour Force: Trends, Barriers and Policies

   4 December 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   A tripartite workshop on “Participation of Women in the Sri Lankan Labour Force: Trends, Barriers and Policies” to be held on 4th December 2012. The purpose of the study is to enhance the understanding of female labour force participation in Sri Lanka in terms of trends, drivers and barriers for women in order to develop a key set of findings and recommendations that are relevant to policymakers and other constituents in the country. The workshop aims to review the study on female labour force participation in Sri Lanka and provide feedback on the findings of the analysis and recommendations for the revision of the study and highlight key issues and policy responses to be taken forward by the ILO, government, trade unions and employer organizations. The workshop will bring together representatives of government ministries, Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka, employer organizations and trade unions, civil society, academics and international organizations.

November 2012

1. Regional Conference on Mainstreaming Disability in Development

   15 November 2012, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

   The ILO Empowering Conflict Affected Communities (ECAC) Project was a corporate partner in organizing the above conference in Batticaloa on 15th November 2012 by the Provincial Department of Social Services. The event addressed the Legal framework of People with Disabilities (PWD) and it’s Implementation Mechanisms in Sri Lanka, Economic Empowerment of PWDs towards independent lives and infrastructure development for PWDs and hazard management. ILO presented a paper jointly with CAMID on its experience on economic empowerment of PWDs under the ECAC Project in selected Divisional Secretarial Divisions of Batticaloa District.

2. Product Exhibition of Graduates of Technical Training in Vavuniya

   14 November 2012, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka

   The ILO Empowering Conflict Affected Communities (ECAC) Project funded the technical training of advance sewing and candle making for 40 women of Chettikulam DS Division in Vavuniya District. The training was facilitated by Industries Officer, Science and Technology Officer and Women Development Officer attached to Divisional Secretariat Office and at the end of the training on 14th November 2012, the graduates organized an exhibition of their products made during the training. The exhibition was well received by the public and this made the women confident to enter into entrepreneurship.

3. Consultative Workshop on the Decent Work Country Policy Analysis

   1 November 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   The objective of the workshop is to identify and reach consensus on the priority areas for the Decent Work Country Policy Analysis for Sri Lanka with the tripartite constituents.

October 2012

1. Launch of National Human Resources and Employment Policy

   30 October 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   The National Human Resources and Employment Policy formulated by the Secretariat for Senior Ministers,with ILO technical and financial support will be launched at a high-level ceremony under the patronage of H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka commenced the formulation of the National Human Resources and Employment Policy (NHREP) in June 2011. It is expected to be a wide ranging and overarching policy document.

2. Workshop on Public Employment Services

   23 - 25 October 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   Three day workshop on Public Employment Services has been organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Productivity Promotion from 23-25th October 2012. Officials from the the Ministry of Productivity Promotion, Ministry of Labour & Labour Relations, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Skills Development, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare Employers and workers and ILO staff involved in Employment Services will participate at this workshop

August 2012

1. Green Jobs in Asia Regional Conference

   29 - 31 August 2012, Singgasana Hotel Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

   On 29-31 August 2012, a tripartite regional workshop will discuss the Green Jobs in Asia project to highlight successful approaches, areas of improvement and the way forward. Representatives from GJA will include Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. They will be joined by additional countries with Green Jobs experience: China, Fiji, India and Thailand.

2. National Tripartite Workshop on the Introduction of Employment Injury Insurance Scheme in Sri Lanka

   23 - 24 August 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   The objectives of the workshop are to identify priority needs in establishing EII in line with ILO relevant mandate such as Convention No. 102, Conventions No. 121, and to create awareness and understanding of principle, method of operating of the EII scheme and international and regional comparison.

May 2012

1. Training Programme on Prevention of Trafficking in Persons for Recruitment Agents

   28 May 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   This Programme will be conducted for 75 Recruitment Agents in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). The rationale for the Programme is that Recruitment Agents are in a position to raise awareness on the legal channels of migrating for foreign employment and thereby minimize the vulnerability to trafficking. The Sessions will include topics such as ‘Introduction to Trafficking in Persons – International & National Standards, Trafficking for Labour Exploitation, Complaints mechanism, Identification of Victims and offenders, Kafala system and the potential for abuse.

2. Training Programme on Trafficking in Persons for Immigration Officers

   22 - 24 May 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   This Programme will be conducted for 100 Immigration Officers based at the Bandaranaike International Airport. Sessions will include, Investigations to identify trafficking offenders & victims, channeling cases to the relevant law enforcement authorities, Foreign Employment and the legal recruitment process, International & National laws on Trafficking in Persons, Identification of forged documentation, Child Trafficking.

3. Training Programme on Prevention of Trafficking in Persons for Airport Taxi Drivers, Cab Drivers, 3 wheeler taxi drivers

   15 - 20 May 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   Three Training Programmes will be conducted for 100 Airport Taxi Drivers, 100 Taxi Cab Drivers, and 100 3 Wheeler drivers. The rationale being that taxi drivers, by virtue of their vocation may come into contact with victims and offenders of human trafficking, and as such are in an ideal position to report such cases to the law enforcement authorities. The Training Programme will include the following sessions; What is Human Trafficking- trafficking for labour exploitation, commercial sexual exploitation etc. , National laws and penalties for the offence of trafficking, Trauma & Psychological impact on victims, Investigation and reporting of cases, Legal Recruitment processes & Foreign Employment.

4. A Regional Consultative Forum on Welfare & Protection of Migrant Workers"

   13 - 15 May 2012, Amman, Jordan

   A Regional Consultation is planned from 13-15th May 2012 in Amman Jordan, to review operational guidelines in Sri Lankan Diplomatic Missions to ensure the protection of migrant workers titled "Consultative Forum on Welfare & Protection of Migrant Workers" organized by Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare and Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the ILO Office Colombo, as part of ILOs support to the Government to implement the National Labour Migration Policy. Sixty participants are expected including Senior decision makers from both Ministries and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, Ambassadors and labour officers from SL missions in 13 Gulf Corporation Council(GCC) countries as well as the far east together with ILO experts from the region and Geneva. The event will support the finalization of an Operational Manual for Sri Lankan Missions in labour receiving countries.

5. Youth Employment in Asia and the Pacific

   1 May 2012, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste and Viet Nam

   As a lead-up to the Youth Employment Forum to be held in Geneva, 23-25 May 2012, many activities were held globally to highlight youth employment issues. Thirteen countries in Asia and the Pacific are organizing various activities to raise awareness on the importance of youth employment.

April 2012

1. Training Workshop on Work Adjustment for Recycling and Management of Waste

   27 April 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   The Waste Management Authority of the Western Province of Sri Lanka in partnership with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations conducted the last in a series of 7 workshops to train 300 lead trainers in Work Adjustment for Recycling and Management of Waste.

2. Workshop to capture “Young Voices from Sri Lanka”

   26 April 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   This workshop is to capture “Young Voices from Sri Lanka” in a participatory and inclusive manner, will take centre-stage on 26th April at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo. The Workshop will comprise 60 young persons drawn from the 25 districts of the Island, who will contribute to a Position Paper that will reflect the contemporary concerns of Sri Lankan youth. The Workshop is being convened by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, under the auspices of its Minister, the Hon. Dullas Alahapperuma with technical and financial support from the International Labour Organisation in partnership with ILO constituents in Sri Lanka.

3. Improving recruitment practices of employment agencies recruiting migrant workers

   9 April 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   The objective of the workshop is to share the findings of the review of the migrant worker recruitment industry in Sri Lanka title “Recruitment Practices of Employment Agencies Recruiting Migrant Workers - A Review aimed at improving recruitment regulations and drafting Recruitment Guidelines” and to obtain stakeholder views and comments on the findings, conclusions and recommendation in the report.

4. Public validation workshop on the National Human Resources and Employment Policy

   5 April 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   The Public Validation Workshop on the Sri Lanka's National Human Resources and Employment Policy will be held on 5th April 2012 at the Taj Samudra Hotel. The final draft of the NHREP will be validated with the participation of representatives of government, employers, trade unions and academic institutions. The comments emanating from the workshop will be used to finalize the document and launch it in May 2012. The Senior Ministers Secretariat of the Government is leading the process of formulating the policy with technical assistance from the ILO."

March 2012

1. Working with men to address gender-based violence in the workplace

   19 - 20 March 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   This training programme is an attempt to address the issue by taking men on a self-reflective journey of understanding their actions, behavior patterns and motivations through a gender lens and thereby moving towards becoming active in not only preventing gender-based violence in the work place but also thinking and acting in more gender equal ways in the domestic sphere.

2. Meeting of Stakeholders to develop the Municipal Solid Waste Management sector in the Western Province of Sri Lanka

   15 March 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   Key stakeholders of the Municipal Solid Waste Management sector in Sri Lanka joined together in the first steering group meeting on implementation of value chain development proposals in the Municipal Solid Waste Management sector on 15th March 2012 at the WMA Conference Room, Colombo. This meeting was organized by the Waste Management Authority (WMA) of Western Province together with ILO Green Jobs project, and was attended by fifteen key stakeholders from following organizations. Key amongst the proposals adopted for future work were the development of a database on employees in the SWM sector; work on systematizing the recruitment of workers for the sector; development of a database on government and private sector entities involved in composting sector; assistance to the WMA to register plastic recycling businesses and developing a database; and organizing of a study tour for WMA zonal managers to learn best practices for zonal managers and technical officers in waste management.

3. Training Programme for conciliators of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment for effective prevention and settlement of disputes pertaining to migrant workers

   8 - 10 March 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka

   Grievances of the migrant workers are mainly handled in Sri Lanka by the Conciliation Division of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment which has 16 conciliation officers located in the SLBFE and in regional centers island-wide. In addition several other government and non-governmental organizations including recruitment agencies are involved in receiving complaints from the migrant workers in Sri Lanka, which channel the complaints to the Conciliation division of the SLBFE.