Social protection

In-depth assessment of employment injury compensation arrangements in Sri Lanka

ILO has assisted the Government by conducting a study to assess the feasibility of establishing an employment injury insurance (EII) scheme and to estimate financial requirements, explore coordination with other social security schemes, and to provide recommendations for a benefit package. The study has proposed a transformation from the employers’ liability scheme to employment injury insurance which is a desirable step in the development process of industrial injury compensation.

Poor safety, health and working conditions are suggested to be widespread at workplaces in South Asia and workplaces in the informal economy, including agriculture, construction etc. Though some information and data about the actual conditions exist for both formal and informal economy, the information on occupational injuries and compensation paid are rather limited. Although appropriate policies and strategies can do much to reduce and prevent their occurrence work related injury and illness are unavoidable aspects of day to day life.

Moreover, workers and those who work in the informal economy, which employs the bulk of the labour force, enjoy no or only limited protection under the current labour laws.