This was included in the manifesto of the collation between the LSSP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and was rejected in the 1965 Ceylonese parliamentary election.
Following the victory of the United Front in the 1970 Ceylonese parliamentary election, the new government began setting up Workers' Councils, Advisory Committees, and Peoples' Committees to transform the administration to work closely with the people.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the framework of Workers' Councils under the Public Administration Circular, No.
8 of 15 August 1970, establishing Workers' Councils in several public corporations on the instructions of the respective Ministers.
As per the Circular, these Councils and Committees had powers to "draw attention to acts of neglect of duty, undue delay, wastage of public funds; advise on measures designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness, to effect economies in running the institutions; and ask for and obtain information from management on all matters".