The Labour Compensation Ordinance will be amended to provide more benefits to workers who face industrial accidents, Labour and Trade Union Relations Minister Ravindra Samaraweera said.
The compensation amount will be increased to Rs one million from Rs 500,000 together with several other benefits, he said at a scholarship awarding ceremony to 50 students, whose parents had died or sustained permanent disabilities due to industrial accidents.
Samaraweera said that the Labour and Trade Union Relations Ministry takes responsibility of children whose parents are dead or sustain permanent disabilities due to workplace accidents while on duty.The scholarships are offered annually by the Ministry.
“Under the mechanism implemented by the Ministry, students are offered scholarships to continue their studies. Scholarships are awarded from the financial allocation of the “Shrama Wasama Fund” of the Ministry” he added.
The Minister said that as per guidelines and policies of the Labour Compensation Ordinance only children whose parents have been victims of industrial accidents receive benefits of the “Shrama Wasana Fund”. As par the provisions of the ordinance the children, whose parents have met with accidents while going to work or coming back home from workplaces are not entitled for benefits of the fund. “The Ministry will amend the Labour Compensation Ordinance to cover the entire child community of the private sector," the Minister said.
The official website of Shrama Wasana fund was also launched. Those interested in applying for the scholarship scheme can apply through the website.