By Hassan Ibrahim Conteh
President Ernest Bai Koroma has on Monday launched the National Employment Policy Strategy and implementation plan.
The policy aims at ensuring rapid economic growth and promotion of sustainable development. President Koroma, speaking at the occasion organized to commemorate Workers’ Day, said the launching of the policy document was in line with his government’s commitment to address the challenges affecting the administration of some of the employment sectors in the country.
“This launching shows the government’s commitment to job creation and protection of the interest of workers and the action itself shows that the government is taking the issue of employment very seriously,” the President said.
He added: “We have a responsibility as a government and also employers to develop employees with required skills to carry out their functions. It is not only a question of policy but we have an implementation plan,” Koroma said. He added that the problem of pensioners and aggrieved workers of Comium would be addressed and that the informal sector would be formalized.
The President said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security would have to be strengthened and capacitated in order to carry its function effectively.
“Labour workers should be able to visit different institutions to assess their relationship with workers,” he said.
May Day is commemorated globally on May 1. But in Sierra Leone this year the activities were held on May 2 because the day coincided with Sunday. Workers from different institutions poured out into the streets to commemorate the day.
It was held on the theme on: ‘Ensure productive work for all workers in Sierra Leone.’
Several laws have been passed in the country with the view to promote and protect workers’ interest. Among these are: The Wages and Industrial Act of 1971, the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) Act of 2009, the Miners Act of 1980 and the 1964 Workers Compensation Act.
Alpha Khanou, Special Adviser to the President and Ambassador at Large, said the new document served as blueprint which would lead to a compressive labour law in the country.
“This document is an embodiment of all labour laws,” he said, urging young people to be engaging in entrepreneurship activities to create jobs for themselves, rather that tending to be idle.
“You cannot prosper on the pocket of somebody else,” he said.
Mr. Jennings Wright, Acting President of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, said they had received several concerns from workers and other sectors on issues affecting them. He appealed to the President to ensure providing commercial motorist ‘Okada riders’ parking space so as to prevent them from the harassment by the police. He said they’d held meeting with the Legal Aid Board for the creation of a labour court which would allow the hearing of cases resulting from industrial actions. Mr. Wright commended the government for the increment on the minimum wage of workers, but pleaded for the enforcement of the policy.
“Some institutions are still paying their workers meager salaries and even some workers have not been paid their pensions,” he said.
(C) Politico 03/05/16
