Employee Relations and Trade Union Actions in Sri Lanka

 




Introduction

An organization's efforts to establish and preserve an effective working relationship with its employees are referred to as employee relations.


According to (Micheal Armstrong ,2017) ‘‘The approaches and methods adopted by employers to deal with employees either collectively through their trade unions or individually.”


Organizations want to retain employees' loyalty and enhance the level of engagement in their work by establishing positive, constructive employee relations.
The Industrial Dispute Act No. 43 of 1950 and the Trade Unions Ordinance No. 14 of 1935 govern trade union activities and employee relations in Sri Lanka.
This blog discusses about the employee relations and trade union actions in Sri Lanka.
 


Trade Union Actions

Trade unions demand better health and safety regulations or fair treatment (and possibly national minimum wage laws) from organizations to support the overall well-being of workers.

On the other hand, trade unions negotiate contract terms and conditions, assist union members with grievance or disciplinary actions, and negotiate union membership matters with employers.

Trade union activity has a long history in Sri Lanka and have taken a harsh approach toward employers since the start of the movement. Marxist and Leninist political groups, which were active against colonialism and class conflict, were affiliated with several trade unions during that early era. When market economic concepts were first implemented in Sri Lanka in 1977, the country's corporate environment witnessed numerous changes (Fernando, Kusalakumara J, 2020).

 




Why Are Trade Unions Needed?

One Voice: power for employed individuals by providing workers with a unified voice when communicating with their employers.

Job security: union members may continue to have more stable employment.

Fair pay: employees in unionized organizations get paid more than employees in similar non-unionized organizations.

Representation: unions can represent its members at any employment tribunal.

Collective values: when unions work together, people can achieve more than when they function alone.

 




Examples of some trade union actions carried out by trade unions.

1.   Unions in Sri Lanka, including affiliates of IndustriALL, staged a protest march in Colombo to protest the government's plan to restructure the country's debt using the savings of its employees (IndustriALL, 2023).

 

2. The entire reinstatement of overtime and holiday benefits because of their persistent attempts strengthened the labor movement's reliance on collective action. Step-by-step pay increases are part of the 2025 compensation revision for public sector workers, with final payment due in January 2027.

 

3. The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union says its trade union action was called off yesterday following the intervention of former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to convene a discussion with the relevant authorities (Newswire, 2024).

 

4. A 48-hour strike by healthcare workers, other than doctors, this week severely disrupted services at government hospitals nationwide and caused inconvenience to patients, but unions threaten to resume the strike action if their demands are not met before Wednesday (Abeywickrema , Nathara, 2024)

 


 

Conclusion

Employers and employees negotiate a collective agreement through trade union actions, resolve their disputes amicably, and obtain their demands without suffering significant losses. On the other hand, the organizations will suffer significant losses if the negotiations fail to work out.

Meantime, business, regular government operations, and the lives of residents will be interrupted by mass trade union actions. For an average citizen of Sri Lanka who depends on public health care, public transportation, electricity, water supply and other services offered by the government. Death incidents have also been reported as a result of Sri Lanka's frequent strikes.




References


Abeywickrema , Nathara, 2024. Sunday Times. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/240204/news/patients-punished-but-unions-threaten-to-resume-strike-from-wednesday-547307.html
[Accessed 1 April 2025].

Fernando, Kusalakumara J, 2020. Sri Lankan Journal of Human Resource Management. [Online]
Available at: https://mgt.sjp.ac.lk/hrm/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/4748-13323-1-PB.pdf
[Accessed 25 March 2025].

IndustriALL, 2023. Industriall golbal union. [Online]
Available at: https://www.industriall-union.org/
[Accessed 1 April 2025].

Newswire, 2024. Newswire. [Online]
Available at: https://www.newswire.lk/2024/07/12/karu-jayasuriya-intervenes-to-solve-railway-strike/
[Accessed 1 April 2025].

 

Comments

  1. Ziyad HakeemApril 5, 2025 at 8:05 AM

    I appreciate you bringing attention to the important subject of trade union activity and employee relations in Sri Lanka. By highlighting their strength and influence on the nation's workforce and public services, your site skillfully conveys the historical foundations, legislative structure, and contemporary dynamics of trade union activity. The increasing conflict between national stability and worker rights is exemplified by the real-world instances you provided. What reasonable measures do you believe the government and unions may take to safeguard employee rights while reducing public inconvenience, given the regular disruptions brought on by strikes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HilmyHRM BlogMay 4, 2025 at 7:06 AM

      The government and unions can safeguard employee rights while minimizing public disruption by promoting structured dialogue, enforcing mandatory mediation before strikes, ensuring essential services maintain minimum operations, and establishing clear timelines and communication protocols to keep the public informed and protected.

      Delete
  2. Dulanjali YapaApril 21, 2025 at 10:30 AM


    The blog offers a thorough analysis of employee relations and trade unionism in Sri Lanka, including historical background and recent instances of trade union activity. It offers a fair assessment of the advantages and difficulties of trade union activity. The blog may highlight best practices for managing employer-union interactions, address the legislative frameworks governing trade unions, and include case studies to improve the content. The post would become a more useful manual for HR professionals with these improvements.

    ReplyDelete
  3. IkramMay 2, 2025 at 11:57 PM

    This is a very detailed and insightful post! I appreciate how you explained both the history and current role of trade unions in Sri Lanka. The real-life examples like the healthcare and railway strikes made the discussion more relevant and practical. You also clearly showed the importance of balancing employee rights and organizational stability. Great work highlighting the value of constructive employee relations!

    ReplyDelete
  4. B.Ruchaka KarunatilakaMay 4, 2025 at 2:53 AM

    This blog offers a timely and insightful overview of employee relations and trade union actions in Sri Lanka, especially against the backdrop of recent economic challenges. It effectively highlights the historical significance of trade unions and their evolving role in advocating for workers' rights amid austerity measures and labor law reforms. The inclusion of recent examples, such as protests against debt restructuring and labor law amendments, underscores the ongoing tensions between the government and labor organizations. Overall, the blog serves as a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of labor relations in Sri Lanka today.

    ReplyDelete

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