Expand coverage of Shop Act -Dinesh

This article is one thing I agree with. I see in small shops & boutiques young people working barely out of their teens slaving away from morning till late hours in the night for a few rupees by way of cash in hand at the end of week. They get no EPF or ETF nor any tangible holidays etc which legitimate companies pay. Why is it that this happens when so called devolved power is available to Provincial Councils who administrate.

Article from Ceylon Today:-

Employees working in small shops and small-scale industries were being slave driven by employers, said Chief Government Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
The minister, participating in the committee stage debate on the Labour Ministry expenditure yesterday, therefore, suggested amending the Shop and Office Act to cover all workers, including those working in small boutiques.
Gunawardena alleged that the Labour Department is in deep slumber when it comes to taking action against those using children in advertisements and commercials.

The Minister said even though there were legal provisions against using children in commercial advertising, such laws had become useless as the Labour Department is fast asleep, with such laws being observed in the breach.
"I am not talking today as a minister, but as a leader of a labour movement. It is unfortunate to mention that children were being abused in advertisements. The Labour Department is empowered to take action against such abuses. But the officials responsible seemed to be asleep," he said.


Gunawardena said advertising agencies earn millions of rupees through advertisements, using children, but most of those children were not paid for their contributions.
"I request the Labour Minister to look into this unprofessional conduct. If those advertisers do not pay the children they use in advertising, measures should be taken to compel those businessmen to pay a suitable contribution to a children's fund. Please bring about a mechanism that would assure that children appearing in advertisements are properly paid for their contributions. We should not permit child labour to be exploited in this manner," the minister said.