By Politico Staff Writer
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Labor and Social Security has ended a two day validation exercise on the National Employment Policy in Freetown.
The 2015-2018 National Employment Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan, which was launched by former President Ernest Bai Koroma, was designed to towards addressing and improving labor relations and conditions of service of workers in Sierra Leone.
The policy was designed to be validated once every three years.
In his statement at the validation workshop held at the Sierra Leone Labour Congress headquarters at Wallace Johnson Street in Freetown, the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security, Lansana Mohamed Dumbuya, said the National Employment Policy is a blue print for the management of employment and to ensure rapid and sustained employment growth, with a view to reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development.
He noted that the validation exercise was timely and integral to the development aspirations of the government.
In his statement, the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, Max Conteh, explained that for workers to be gainfully employed and protected, Sierra Leone must have a reviewed Labour Law that matches international standards.
Conteh added that for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to effectively and efficiently implement its mandate, the government must provide it with more trained and qualified Labour officers, increase its budgetary allocation, and provide transportation facility for officers to conduct regular labor inspections; to ensure compliance of the Labour Laws.
Samuel Jamiru Brima, the Consultant for the policy document, said it is intended to serve the needs of employers, employees and job seekers in the Labour market. He assured participants that more employment opportunities can be created with the establishment and promotion of technical, vocational and entrepreneurship training facilities across the country.
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