WE CANNOT HAVE UNIFORM YARDSTICKS TO EVALUATE UNIVERSAL LABOUR STANDARDS - Address of Mr. Ravi Peiris , Director General, EFC  at the 100th International Labour Conference Geneva 2011.

 Full Speech :

Mr President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is indeed a privilege and an honor for me to address you at the 100th International Labour Conference, which is a milestone in the history of the ILO. As the Employer Delegate from Sri Lanka, I am happy and proud to represent the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon, which is one of the oldest Employer Organizations in Asia, having been in existence for the last 82 years. During this period, our Organization has promoted ILO standards with the objective of balancing efficiency and equity in employment.  

As we look back at the past, we do appreciate and acknowledge the role the ILO has played in bringing together the three important stakeholders in employment. We thank the ILO for all the support and assistance it has given its constituents over the years.

As we deliberate on our strategies to build a future with Decent Work, I am convinced, that the ILO needs to address some fundamental issues more closely than before. As regards adopting labour standards and making recommendations on the application of standards, it is extremely important that the ILO takes cognizance of the peculiar industrial relations cultures of each country. It is important to take into account that a “one size fits all” approach cannot be maintained in applying universal standards, in countries with different levels of economic development.

The EFC, as the principal Employer Organization in Sri Lanka and a constituent of the ILO, respects the concept of Decent Work and has already put into practice the strategic objectives that it identified in terms of Sri Lanka’s Decent Work Agenda. However, we are firmly of the view that operationalizing Decent Work is what is important. In doing so, we need to look at the practical application of it at the level of the enterprise which is where work is performed and the employment relationship exists. A crucial requirement for promotion of Decent Work is the creation of an enabling environment for employment generation. We are glad that this year’s Global Report is focusing on the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.  We are extremely happy to record that we have set up the first Employer Network on Disability in Asia, with the assistance of the ILO. This Employer Network on Disability, has already provided employment to more than 400 disabled persons. It has recently set up a Training Centre for the visually handicapped on IT Skills with the intention of providing these job candidates the necessary skills that would open up employment opportunities. These are concrete examples of our commitment to promote decent work and a more inclusive workplace where no groups are marginalized, but instead brought into the mainstream of work. We strive to walk the talk.

As the ILO ventures into the future, it is important that it focuses on developing sound relations at enterprise level and at the same time emphasize on enterprise competitiveness and pay greater attention to issues such as productivity and quality, flexible working hours and social dialogue. Equal treatment in employment necessarily requires ensuring these conditions conducive for business.

It is also important that the ILO focus on assisting constituents to promote and attain the ILO standards taking into account the peculiarities and the vulnerabilities of each of these countries. We cannot accept the application of uniform yardsticks on universal standards. There needs to be consideration of practical realities of each country in the application of universal standards.

Whilst congratulating the ILO on the work it has done in the past, we are confident that it would step into the future with renewed vigour and vitality and continue to be a source of strength and inspiration and to the tripartite constituents.

Ravi Peiris 

Director Genera

Employers' Federation of Ceylon