US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1102

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001102 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/M-MARGERY BENSON/SEQUITA ROBINSON 
INFO: ECA/PE/V/R/N-LARRY MOODY; SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2004 MRP "ORGANIZED LABOR" - 
AUGUST 19-SEPTEMBER 19, 2004: SRI LANKAN NOMINATION 
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2004-0038 
 
REF: STATE 126538 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MR. D.M. UPALI DISSANAYAKE, SECRETARY 
TO THE WAGES BOARD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR 
PARTICIPATION IN THE SUBJECT PROJECT.  POST CONFIRMS 
THAT THIS NOMINATION HAS "FULL COUNTRY TEAM APPROVAL." 
 
2. NOMINATION IS AS FOLLOWS: 
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): 
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables 
: automated processing in Washington and should not be 
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. 
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.7 
POST-EMAIL: tilakawardenac@state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
ECA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 141 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2004-0038 
PROJ-NAME: Organized Labor - August 19 - September 9, 
2004 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2004 
DEPART-POST: 08/17/2004 
SESSION-DATE: 08/19/2004 
RETURN-POST: 09/11/2004 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 0 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This project is in support of MPP on "Economic 
Development" 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: U 
SUBJ-DISC: Labor 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: Dissanayake  M. 
M-NAME: Upali 
L-NAME: DISSANAYAKE 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 110 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Labor Standards Division 
M-ADDR2: Department of Labor 
M-ADDR3: Labor Secretariat, Kirular Road 
M-CITY: Colombo 5 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-11) 258-2412 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 01/19/1955 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: Anuradhapura 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Secretary, Wages Board, Department of Labor, 2001- to 
 
SIPDIS 
date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Labor Officer, Dept. of Labor 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1998-2001 - Labor Officer, Colombo North District Labor 
Office 
1990-97 - Labor Officer, Foreign Relations Division, 
Ministry of Labor 
1989-90 - Labor Officer, Avissawella District Labor 
Office 
1976-88 - Clerk, Dept. of Census and Statistics, 
Ministry of Planning 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
None 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
Bachelor of Development Studies, University of Colombo, 
1981 
Diploma in International Labor Standards, ILO Training 
Center, Turin, Italy, 1995 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 3 
ENGL-SPEAK: 3 
ENGL-COMP: 3 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This project is in support of MPP on "Economic 
Development" 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Dean Thompson 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
As the Secretary of the Wages Board, Mr. Dissanayake 
coordinates work related to 43 wages boards appointed 
by the Ministry of Labor.  These wages boards are 
responsible for deciding the minimum wages and 
conditions in 43 trades coming under the Wages Boards 
Ordinance, ranging from tea plantations to garment 
industry.  In this capacity, he is responsible for 
liaising tripartite partners (government, employers and 
trade unions), educating them on labor standards and 
practices, minimum wages and conditions.  Wages boards 
do not have the expertise or capacity to undertake 
detailed research and studies, and Mr. Dissanayake and 
other responsible officers are currently trying to 
introduce such capability.  In addition to Wages Board 
matters, Mr. Dissanayake is also responsible for 
examining the legality of collective agreements and 
advising relevant labor commissioners.  Also, he 
functions as a trainer of trainees on labor standards 
and worker education, and actively takes part in 
educating human resource mangers and personnel managers 
of a wide variety of private companies on labor 
standards.  During 1998-2001, as a labor officer in the 
Colombo North District Office, Mr. Dissanayake engaged 
in factory inspections, court work, conciliation, and 
workers education.  Mr. Dissanayake plays an important 
role in the Department of Labor working on labor/wage 
matters and training others on labor standards.  He is 
also expected to assume higher duties when current 
senior officers in the labor standards division go on 
retirement.  Therefore, he would be an ideal candidate 
to participate in the international visitor program on 
"Organized Labor." 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: ECON 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 184 
PERSON-ID: 190 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 52.1002 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: DOS 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: DOS 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 8000 
USGOVT-AGENCY2: 
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 
INTL-ORG1: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 
INTL-ORG2: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 
COMMISSION: 0 
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-CAT: 5 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION. 
LUNSTEAD