Sri Lanka Puts Platform Workers’ Rights and Social Security at the Centre of Reform

Platform-mediated work is creating opportunities for income, entrepreneurship and participation in the labour market, particularly through transport, delivery and online freelance services.

For people earning a living through ride-hailing apps, delivery services and online freelancing in Sri Lanka, the growth of platform work brings opportunities and questions that reach into everyday life: how earnings are calculated, what protection exists after an injury and where to turn when an account is deactivated.

Those concerns helped shape a national workshop held in Colombo on 13 October 2026, where representatives of government, employers' and workers' organizations, digital labour platforms, platform workers' organizations and academia identified priorities for improving conditions in the sector. Their discussions put better evidence, a review of existing laws and wider access to social security at the centre of Sri Lanka's response to its expanding platform economy.

Making protection part of the conversation

Platform-mediated work is creating opportunities for income, entrepreneurship and participation in the labour market, particularly through transport, delivery and online freelance services. Its expansion also brings practical concerns about employment status, payment, occupational safety and access to support when something goes wrong.

Opening the workshop, H.M.D.N.K. Wataliyadda, Commissioner General of Labour, stressed that labour policies and institutions need to respond to changing forms of work. He called for an approach that balances worker protection with flexibility, innovation, sustainable enterprises and economic opportunities.

That balance matters because decisions about how platform work is regulated can affect both the people who depend on it for income and the businesses providing these services. Participants examined developments in Sri Lanka's platform economy, considering the opportunities alongside concerns about working conditions and protection.

A new international standard enters the discussion

The workshop followed the adoption of the ILO's Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026 (No. 193), described as the first international labour standard specifically addressing platform work. Participants explored its scope and key provisions and discussed their relevance to Sri Lanka.

International experience informed conversations about policy, regulation and ways to extend social security coverage. The issues covered included employment classification, remuneration, occupational safety and health, automated systems and algorithms, data protection, account deactivation and dispute resolution.

These questions have direct consequences for workers. Employment classification affects how their work is treated under existing frameworks; payment arrangements shape their earnings; and access to grievance mechanisms can determine whether they have a meaningful way to challenge decisions affecting their livelihood.

Joni Simpson, Director of the ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, emphasized the importance of dialogue between government, employers and workers. She said innovation should go hand in hand with decent work, with social dialogue helping Sri Lanka support sustainable enterprises and secure fairness, protection and dignity for workers.

From workshop priorities to national reform

Participants identified stronger data and evidence as a priority for understanding platform work in Sri Lanka and informing decisions about its future. They also called for a review of existing labour and regulatory frameworks, including questions about employment status.

Exploring options to extend social security and labour protection formed another key area for action. Discussions covered remuneration, occupational safety and health, data protection and access to grievance mechanisms, alongside the need for stronger tripartite dialogue and coordination between institutions.

The findings are expected to inform further national discussions and consideration of policy and regulatory measures, including through Sri Lanka's ongoing labour law reform process. The priorities provide a basis for that work; specific measures remain for further consideration. The workshop was organized by the International Labour Organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Labour.