Topic
Employment
1,754 speeches · 310 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 84 |
| 2 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 78 |
| 3 | Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha, M.P. JJB | 60 |
| 4 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 45 |
| 5 | Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe, M.P. JJB | 41 |
| 6 | Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, M.P. JJB | 32 |
| 7 | Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, M.P. JJB | 31 |
| 8 | Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, M.P. JJB | 30 |
| 9 | Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, M.P. NDF | 29 |
| 10 | Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney at Law, M.P. SJB | 23 |
Speeches
1,754 on this topic- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Ismail Muththu Mohamed AI summary Mohamed Ismail Muththu Mohamed raised concerns about politicization and delays in public administration, staff shortages in field-level services, inadequate travel allowances, and poor treatment of lower-level employees. He called for Provincial Council elections to be held without further delay, citing the 13th Amendment and the need to realize devolved minority rights. He also urged better resources, offices, vehicles, staffing, revenue plans, and allowances for local authorities, particularly in the North, and requested that public-sector interviews in Tamil-speaking areas be conducted or communicated in Tamil. He concluded by conveying condolences on the death of former Vavuniya Government Agent and Southern Province Governor Bandula Harischandra. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Padmasiri Bandara JJB AI summary Padmasiri Bandara defended the Budget allocations under Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, rejecting Opposition claims about low capital spending and citing allocations for Health, Agriculture, and Rural and Infrastructure ministries as evidence of a capital-focused Budget. He highlighted the proposed implementation of a 3 per cent public service recruitment quota for persons with disabilities, alongside a Rs. 500 million wage subsidy scheme for private employers. He also said the Government would address local authority staff shortages through over 75,000 recruitments and allocate Rs. 12,500 million for shared essential equipment, while noting increased benefits for public servants including higher festival advances, disaster loan ceilings, and difficult-area allowances for teachers. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB AI summary Hon. B. Ariyawansha argued that the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government is central to development, but said public administration and local authorities face funding, staffing and governance problems. He criticized reductions in salary reimbursements to low-revenue local authorities, called for chairs and members to be empowered under the Pradeshiya Sabha framework, and urged equitable allocations including for Opposition MPs. He demanded urgent Provincial Council elections after more than eight years, citing the Government’s parliamentary majority to pass required legal amendments. He also called for implementation of recommendations on Management Service Officers, including salary revisions, recruitment to provincial vacancies, higher qualifications, restored senior-grade status and a clear promotion scheme. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Muhammad Faizal JJB AI summary Hon. Muhammad Faizal defended the President’s attendance in Parliament and argued that the Opposition’s predictions of the Government’s collapse had failed. Speaking during the Committee Stage debate on allocations for the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, he accused previous governments of delaying Provincial Council and local authority elections while claiming lack of funds. He said the current NPP Government has allocated funds in the Budget to hold Provincial Council elections and expressed confidence that it would win them. He also stated that the Government had increased estate workers’ wages, contrasting this with earlier unresolved discussions on the issue. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe JJB AI summary Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe outlined ongoing labour reforms, including plans to consolidate 14 labour laws into four new Acts covering industrial relations, labour standards, occupational safety and health, and trade unions. He cited training programmes for Labour Department officers, job and vocational fairs, and expanded occupational safety interventions, noting recorded workplace accident figures and the estimated economic cost of such incidents. He also referred to efforts to digitize EPF access, revive the National Labour Advisory Council, and appealed to workers across sectors to support efforts to improve productivity and national development. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe JJB AI summary Mahinda Jayasinghe defended the Budget’s wage and public-sector benefit measures, saying the Opposition should critique constructively while noting its resistance to plantation wage increases. He attributed current pension anomalies to decisions by the 2016 and 2020 governments, stated that the Government’s 2025 Budget addresses the issue in phases up to July 2027, and said further disparities affecting retirees up to 31 December 2024, including retired principals and teachers, would also be resolved. He highlighted salary increases, higher increments, disaster loan funding, festival advances, housing loan concessions, regularization of about 9,800 workers, and increased allowances for rail crossing gatekeepers. He also justified procuring 2,000 vehicles, mainly pickup trucks for public officers, citing the very old condition of vehicles used by Labour Department district engineering offices. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. Lakmali Hemachandra clarified that the plantation daily wage of Rs. 1,750 does not require workers to complete 25 days of work, stating that Rs. 200 is an attendance incentive paid only for days worked in addition to the Rs. 1,550 wage. She said claims of a 25-day condition are due to misunderstanding or distortion. She also said labour law reform is being pursued through an inclusive process involving an expert committee, a draft for public and union comment, and consideration of fairness to both workers and employers, including greater women’s workforce participation. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra paid tribute to Samanmalee Hettiarachchi of the Dabindu Collective and highlighted the contribution and underrepresentation of women workers, particularly in Free Trade Zones and the garment sector. She said the government had reactivated the National Labour Advisory Council after a period of inactivity, held several meetings, and increased representation of women and women-led trade unions in the tripartite forum. She also cited labour policy measures including increases to the national minimum wage to Rs. 27,000 from April and Rs. 30,000 from January 2026, and negotiations to raise plantation workers’ wages, arguing that these reflected a stronger worker-focused approach by the Ministry of Labour. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera raised concerns on expenditure heads relating to public administration, local government, labour and plantation workers. He requested fuel, communication and duty-related allowances for Grama Niladhari officers, action to resolve salary anomalies and recruitment disparities affecting Management Service Officers, and relief mechanisms for low-revenue local authorities facing proposed salary-cost recoveries. He also urged digitisation and National ID-based coordination to simplify EPF/ETF claims, and sought clarification on whether the additional Rs. 200 plantation worker payment is an attendance-based daily payment or conditional on working 25 days. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Chandana Sooriyaarachchi JJB AI summary The government has proposed a three-step approach to address salary anomalies and is taking measures to resolve issues affecting retirees, with the President’s attention on the matter. In presenting the expenditure head of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, the speech stated that steps are being taken to strengthen and advance the public service. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Chandana Sooriyaarachchi JJB AI summary Chandana Sooriyaarachchi supported the Budget allocations for the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government and the Ministry of Labour, framing them as aligned with modernizing the public service and supporting workers. He defended the National People’s Power’s authority in the Seethawaka Pradeshiya Sabha, arguing that recent steps to constitute the council reflected the local election mandate and legal process. He raised concerns about Public Service Commission decisions to increase the pass mark for efficiency barrier examinations from 40 to 50 and reduce attempts from six to three, asking whether the Ministry, Minister and officials had been consulted. He urged authorities to avoid creating conflict with public servants and trade unions or curtailing existing rights, and noted that the Sectoral Oversight Committee had already directed the Ministry Secretary to intervene. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna – Minister AI summary The Minister stated that steps have already been initiated to address issues faced by retirees and that the Government will continue those efforts. He added that part of the process concerning Management Assistants has been completed, with further discussions ongoing to finalize the remaining matters. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Dayasiri Jayasekara sought clarifications from the Minister on whether the Budget includes a programme to resolve pending pension issues for those who retired between 2020 and 2024. He also asked whether steps would be taken to fill over 5,000 Management Assistant vacancies by appointing candidates selected through limited competitive examinations. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Shantha Pathma Kumara Subasingha JJB AI summary Hon. Shantha Pathma Kumara Subasingha defended the Government’s references to past economic mismanagement and said the debt default of April 2022 made it necessary to examine the preceding 76 years. He stated that Provincial Council and Local Government elections would be held, with funds available and new legislation to correct flaws in the electoral framework, and denied allegations of buying councillors. He highlighted Budget measures for public servants, including restoration and adjustment of pension benefits, phased salary increases totaling Rs. 330 billion, recruitment of 76,782 officers, regularisation of about 9,800 staff, higher allowances, disaster loan allocations, and subsidised housing loans. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe – Minister AI summary The Minister said the Government is attentive to concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition about the impact of technological change and AI on employment. He noted that while conventional jobs are changing, new jobs are emerging, and emphasized the need to reform education and the economy to prepare for future labour market needs. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa – Leader of the Opposition AI summary The Leader of the Opposition requested that the Minister assess the likely scale of job displacement resulting from technological advancement, online work, and artificial intelligence. He argued that such an assessment is necessary to reorient education from pre-school to tertiary level toward future labour market needs and the creation of new forms of employment as traditional jobs come under threat. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe – Minister AI summary The Minister said any complaint to the Bribery Commission could be corrected or withdrawn and urged that a consistent position be taken on the matter. He stated that the Government was acting to ensure estate workers receive what is due to them, including through a reimbursement mechanism, and called for support for the initiative. He also asserted that the Government had fulfilled commitments to workers, State employees and pensioners. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa raised concerns over pensioners, particularly those who retired between 2020 and 2024, and proposed a non-partisan committee, interim allowances, payment of arrears, and fulfilment of the pledged 15 per cent senior citizens’ interest scheme. He requested improved allowances and recognition for registrars, implementation of the Grama Niladhari service minute and related allowances, restoration of fuel support, and action against alleged politicization of welfare programmes. He also urged adequate benefits under Agrahara insurance, warned that proposed recurrent expenditure limits could weaken local authorities, and called for consultations with local council chairs. Referring to the Trincomalee incident and media allegations of narcotics links, he called for stronger action to preserve religious harmony, a National Cohesion Committee, proper law enforcement, and a survey and redeployment of surplus vehicles before any new vehicle procurement. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 19 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna – Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government AI summary The Minister said Seethawaka Pradeshiya Sabha and similar hung local authorities show the need for dialogue on local government electoral reform, noting that limited amendments were previously made to allow elections following a Supreme Court direction and with party leaders’ agreement. He outlined public service measures since 2025, including Cabinet-approved recruitment of about 76,982 officers, graduate and teacher appointments, intakes to island-wide services, Management Service Officers, ICT, translators, librarians, drivers, technical officers, Grama Niladharis and registrars. He also said the 2025 Budget salary and allowance increases were implemented from April 2025 under circular 10/2025, with Rs. 330 billion allocated over 2025-2027, and referenced expanded training for public officers under an MoU with India’s NCGG. Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Ministry of Labour) Read →
- 18 November 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper argued that SMEs are unable to access proposed bank-based relief because of CRIB-related restrictions. He urged the Government not to proceed with the planned vehicle allocations and requested that at least half of the Rs. 12.5 billion allocated for cabs and departmental vehicles be redirected as relief for SMEs. Committee Stage Debate: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Defence and Public Security Expenditure Heads Read →