Tough action against errant employers

by Ananda Kannangara

The laws already being implemented to crack down on private sector errant employers will be strengthened. Labour Relations and Foreign Employment Minister Athauda Seneviratne told the Sunady Observer. He said that complaints in this regard were received by the Department during the past few months that certain employers have allegedly forced their employees to work for long hours without paying them proper remuneration and welfare.

Some employers in large and medium scale industrial companies, have forced them to work more than eight hours per day without paying overtime or providing transport.

"This had affected female workers doing night shifts," he said.

The Minister said that in some instances workers had been rostered even on mercantile holidays without any extra payment.

"They had also not granted welfare facilities enjoyed by other employees in public and private sector campiness," he said.

He said some workers employed in small business centres such as filling stations and boutiques do not have Provident Fund numbers (EPF) although the contributions are regularly deducted from their monthly salaries.

It is also reported that some workers are not being issued with pay sheets along with their monthly salary.

"I have instructed the relevant labour officials to deploy additional labour officials to crackdown such employers," and take stern action against them, he added.