Sri Lanka

The Country Office for Sri Lanka, established in 1984, provides the programmes and administrative support to ILO's work in Sri Lanka. While the Maldives is not a member of the ILO, the office also provides administrative support as and when necessary.

The Country Office for Sri Lanka in Colombo manages the overall assistance to Sri Lanka through a range of diverse activities and is technically assisted by a Specialist Team. Regular activities, help to mainstream Decent Work issues into the country's policies and programmes.

The work and programmes of the tripartite constituents (Goverment, Employers' and Workers') take on many dimensions. It involves approaching a common problem through different perspectives of the key stakeholders. The programmes are funded by the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) and Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACTEMP).

• Capital: Colombo
• Land Area: 803,940 sq km
• Population: 162,419,946 (July 2005 est.)
• GDP/PPP(a) 2005:89,481 (millions of international dollars)(b)
  Source:
  (a) PPP is purchasing power parity; an international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as a U.S. dollar has in the United States.
  (b) World Development Indicators database, World Bank, 1 July 2006

Governments / Institutions

• Ministry of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment
  Labour Secretariat
  Colombo - 5, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 236 8164 ; 2581998
  Fax: (94 11) 258 2938; 2581145
  Email: slmol@slt.lk
  Website: www.
  Minister: Hon'ble Mr. Athauda Senaviratne
  Secretary: Mr. Mahinda Madihahewa
  Commissioner General of Labour: Mr. Mahinda Madihahewa

Employers' Organizations

• Employers Federation of Ceylon
  385 J3, Old Kotte Road
  Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 286 7943
  Fax: (94 11) 286 7942
  Email:
  website- www.
  Director-General:

Workers Organizations

• Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya
  416, Kotte Road, Pita Kott
  Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 286 5436/7
  Fax: (94 11) 286 5438
  Mobile: 0722 172512
  Email: 9cxdom@sltnet.lk
  Chief Organiser: Mr. Palitha Athukorale
• Ceylon Mercantile and Industrial & General Workers Union
  3, 22nd Lane
  Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 232 8158
  Fax: (94 11) 243 4025
  Mobile: 0722 172512
  Email: gscmu@sltnet.lk
  General Secretary: Mr. Bala Tampoe
• Ceylon Federation of Trade Unions
  513-2/1, Elvitigala Mawatha
  Colombo 5, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 236 8986
  Fax: (94 11) 510718
  Mobile: 0722 172512
  Email: cftulk@eureka.lk
  General Secretary: Mr. D.W. Subasinghe
• Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union
  60, Bandaranayakerpura, Jayawardenepura Mawatha
  Welikada, Rajagiriya, Kotte
  Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 286 5138
  Fax: (94 11) 2862262
  Mobile: 0777 893072
  Email: ctucljeu@sri.lanka.net
  General Secretary: Mr. K. Velayudam
• National Workers Congress
  94 1/6, York Building
  York Street, Colombo 1
  Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 243 1847
  Fax: (94 11) 247 0874
  Mobile: 0722 172512
  Email: migrant@sltnet.lk
  General Secretary: Mr. Anton Lodwick
• Ceylon Workers Congress
  72, Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha
  Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 230 1359
  Fax: (94 11) 230 1355
  Mobile: 0722 172512
  Email: sart@mpsl.slt.lk
  President/General Secretary: Hon. S.A.R. Thondaman
  Vice-President (Int. & Indus. Relations) : Mr. Harry Sandrasekara
• COPSITU
  33, Opposite Maha Vidyalaya
  Galmuruwa
  Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 32) 40694
  Fax: (94 11) 286 5438
  General Secretary: Mr.Adhikari Jayaratne
• Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya
  301, T.B. Jaya Mawatha
  Colombo 10, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 269 4074
  Fax: (94 11) 267 9021
  Mobile: 0777 331053
  Email: slnss@diamond.lanka.net
  General Secretary: Mr. Lesile Devendra
• Ceylon Federation of Labour
  457, Dr. Colvin R. de Silva Mawatha
  Union Place
  Colombo 2, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 269 4273
  Fax: (94 11) 268 6188
  General Secretary: Mr. S. Siriwardena
• Ceylon Bank Employees' Union
  20, Temple Road
  Colombo 10, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 269 3811
  Email: cbeu@sltnet.lk
  President: Mr.M.R. Shah
• Inter Company Employees Union
  158/18 E D Dabare Mawatha
  Colombo 5, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 535 8782
  Fax: (94 11) 535 8783
  General Secretary: Mr. Vasantha Samarasinghe
• Lanka General Services Union
  10/1-1/1, Kotugodella Veediya
  Kandy, Sri Lanka
  Tel: 94 82 23372
  Fax: 94 82 32343
  Email: gsu@slt.lk
  President: Mr. Jayaratne Maliyagoda
• National Association for Trade Union Reserach & Education (NATURE)
  106, Dr. N.M. Perera Mawatha
  Colombo 8, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 269 1891
  FAx: (94 11) 267 5125
  Email: naturesl@wow.lk
  General Secretary: Mr. T.M.R. Rasseedin
• United Federation of Labour
  17, Barrack Lane
  Colombo 2, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 232 4053
  President: Mr. Linus Jayatillake
• Ceylon Estate Staff's Union
  6, Aloe Avenue
  Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
  Tel: (94 11) 257 3948
  Fax: (94 11) 257 6841
  Email: cesu_colombo3@hotmail.com
  General Secretary: Mr. Nath Amarasinghe