මාතෘකා
Employee Rights
Prime Minister Bandaranaike’s deep humanistic and socialist impulses were manifest through a range of measures and Acts of Parliament he initiated to improve and uplift the life and conditions of the Sri Lankan worker. Among these, were the declaration for the first time as a national holiday of May Day, the 1st of May as a day commemorating the contribution of labour to the national weal. Soon followed progressive amendments to the working conditions of the worker in legislation relating to Shop and Office Employees, Factory Workers and the Wages Boards governing labour remuneration.
A landmark achievement was the setting up of the Employees Provident Fund which through mandatory contributions from the employer and employee guaranteed to workers and their families retirement benefits not hitherto available to the Sri Lankan working class.