Ministry of Labour

The Department of Manpower and Employment was established in 2010 under the Ministry of Labour Relations and Manpower, in accordance with the provisions of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 1640/31 dated February 12, 2010. It currently functions under the Ministry of Labour. Established as a "Grade A" department, its designated subjects include the promotion of employment, employment planning, employment and labor market information, and vocational guidance programs. Additionally, the department is assigned with the responsibility of maintaining public employment services and implementing the provisions of the National Human Resources and Employment Policy.

Utilizing survey data compiled by its Labor Market Information Unit, the department implements district and divisional-level programs related to vocational guidance and job creation promotion. Through these initiatives, unemployed youth are directed towards employment opportunities in the private sector.

The National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS), which currently operates under the Ministry of Labour, was established on 11 September 2007 and is governed by the provisions of the National Institute of Labour Studies Act No. 12 of 2010. The Institute is administered by a governing board comprising representatives of the tripartite partners in the labour sector employers, employees, and the government.

The primary function of the Institute is to plan and implement the necessary training and research activities required to develop an informed and productive labour force that is knowledgeable about labour laws, regulations, and procedures. With the objective of providing a more effective service to trade union activists and worker representatives, the National Institute of Labour Studies is presently located on the second floor of the Department of Labour Secretariat Building.

With the objective of creating a safe and healthy workforce in Sri Lanka through the adoption of sound occupational safety measures and good health practices, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was established as an affiliated institution under the then Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations, by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 38 of 2009.

This institute works on to creating a prolific workforce in Sri Lanka through daily environmental measurement surveys, risk assessment and medical examinations as well as trainings conducted as special programmes, projects and activities carried out on the basis of international cooperation with other countries.

The Workmen’s Compensation Ordinance No. 19 of 1934 was enacted to provide compensation in respect of accidents occurring in the course of employment. Several amendments have been made to this Ordinance on different occasions, and the latest amendment was effected by Act No. 10 of 2022. The Workmen’s Compensation Court, which exercises the powers of a District Judge and a Magistrate, consists of 14 circuit courts covering the entire island. The judicial officers appointed by the Judicial Service Commission include the Commissioner of Workmen’s Compensation, the Additional Commissioner of Workmen’s Compensation, and the Deputy Commissioner of Workmen’s Compensation, among others, making up a total of 43 positions, which also include a Class I post of the Sri Lanka Accountants’ Service and a post of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service. The main objectives of the Office of the Workmen’s Compensation Commissioner are to pay compensation to employees injured in accidents arising out of and in the course of their employment, to pay compensation to employees suffering from diseases contracted due to the nature of their employment, and to pay compensation to the dependents of employees who die as a result of such accidents occurring in the course of employment.

For judicial proceedings relating to workmen’s compensation, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Civil Procedure Code, and the Evidence Ordinance are applicable, and the appeal procedure is similar to that of a District Court.