By: Mohamed M. Sesay
During the Parliamentary Debate of the Employment Bill 2022, the Deputy Speaker of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Serra Leone Hon. Solomon Segepoh Thomas has decried weak Labor Laws and treacherous Labor Officers disadvantaging citizens in the hands of their foreign employees. The Deputy Speaker also called on the Minister of Labour and Social Security to help address such ill happenings among Labor Officers.
Hon. Solomon Segepoh Thomas emphasized that Sierra Leoneans workers themselves especially Labor Officers are the ones working with foreigners to disadvantage their brothers and sisters. He added that Sierra Leoneans are maltreated in companies and businesses but nobody enforces the laws to correct the wrongs. He also disclosed that even police officers are working tirelessly with foreigners to maltreat citizens. He, therefore, considered such an act unpatriotic and inhumane.
The Paramount Chief Member of Parliament from Tonkolili District, PC Bai Kurr Kanagbaro Rosanka II also stated that for the economy of Sierra Leone to boom, the Ministry of Finance should pay all workers every two weeks.
He said there are lots of Sierra Leoneans workers that are indebted, adding that these debts that employees are taking have high interest. He noted that paying salaries weekly could mitigate the suffering. Hon PC said the reason Sierra Leoneans are poor is that everything is imported from china and other countries.
He maintained that even the country’s staple food which is rice is been imported from other countries.
“All our most trumpeted farms are still on papers. No work done to produce our food product”,’ he said.
The PC went further that Sierra Leoneans cannot even maintain their roads, adding that everyone depends on outside funds or donor partners.
He said the country should be graduated from becoming lazy, adding that before now people are making their roads and cleaning their villages and cities but today people are defiant to do jobs for themselves. He concluded by asserting that the Employment Act 2022 should capture gray areas to settle labor and employment.
The Leader of government business in Parliament, Hon. Matthew Sahr Numa said the country can only talk about a progressive state when it has good laws.
He furthered that the new bill should give enormous rights to people in their employment business. The Leader continues that enforcement of the Act after its enactment should be the priority adding that, Parliament, the police and the Ministry of Labor should come together and try to address the employment problems in the country.
In his reaction to Members of Parliament, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Dr Alpha Timbo said he presented to MPs the employment acts 2022 to Parliament for their kind consideration. He assured Members of Parliament that once the bill is passed into law, then it would repeal other labor laws that are old, especially those 1965 laws.