Deputy Chief WhipBlasts Labour Officers
By Mohamed Amara Gando
On Wednesday 18 January, during the debate of the Working Permit Act of 2022, Deputy Chief Whip of the Sierra Leone Parliament, who also doubles as the Chairman for the Committee on Internal Affairs, Hon. AlusineKanneh, registered dismay over the manner in which Sierra Leoneans in the employ of Foreign businesses are being marginalized by their employers, and called on the Minister of Labor, Alpha Osman Timbo, and Labor officials to fully execute and implement the Working Permit Act of 2022 and the Overseas Employment and Migrant Workers Act of 2022, if passed into law.
According to the Deputy Chief Whip, Sierra Leoneans are suffering in the hands of foreigners because laws passed to protect Sierra Leoneans are not properly implemented by government agencies.
“Today the Minister is before us with the Employment Act of 2022 to enact, it is good to have a proper labor law, as far as working permit and functions that has to do with the Labor Ministry, but my concern is the implementation of these laws. Over the years when these laws are passed, agencies that are responsible to implement them failed us” he said.
He pointed out that there are foreigners in this country operating freely and also companies that are operating in Sierra Leone without having proper documents to operate, citing that mining companies come in with people they refer to as expatriates, but some are not even qualified to operate in the country, but are still operating.
“I am with the conviction that when issues like unlawful termination of contract between Sierra Leoneans and foreigners reaches the offices of the Labour Ministry, labor workers will take sides and support the foreign companies against their own brothers and sisters, because at the end of the day he or she is expecting something from that foreign company, and would abandon his Sierra Leonean brothers or sisters” he stated.
He underscored that what he has observed over the years in Sierra Leone, since being in the country, is that most of the labor officials are not up to the task; they are supposed to be out there to act like CIA, making sure that they find out those who’ve not got the right working permits.
“For example, I have a nephew that was working for a Lebanese man about four years ago, he was abused unfairly, and I intervened, at the end, one of your workers in the labor ministry did the wrong thing. Is it possible for you to implement and execute what is before us when it is enacted by this house”? he asked.
The Deputy Chief Whip maintained that the bill is a very good bill and will empower citizens. He recalibrated that after spending so many years overseas, he realized that their laws are very strong when it involves their people, adding that Sierra Leone should reciprocate the same by protecting Sierra Leoneans against foreigners.
He urged the Minister of Labor to implement these laws, and more importantly, make sure that these laws are enforced. He reemphasized that good laws are passed, but the implementation has been a very big challenge. He encouraged the Labor Minister to make sure these laws are fully executed for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone.
