By Neo Kolane
The 29-member National Advisory Committee on Labour has been introduced to labour and employment minister Moshe Leoma.
The committee was unveiled yesterday in Maseru, ending the speculation that its operations would be belated.
The inauguration marked the beginning of the term of office of new national advisory committee. The committee’s predecessors ended their membership in October last year.
In his speech, Leoma said that he has been advised that this is the most important statutory tripartite committee that advises the minister on a wide range of labour issues such as labour legislation and industrial relations.
Leoma also highlighted the importance of implementing and ratifying International Labour Conventions.
He advised the new members that they were facing a mammoth task of advancing labour-related matters left out unattended by the previous advisory committee. While also urging them to design their own working patterns.
Leoma promised to present the labour law review and security draft bills in parliament before the end of the year.
“My eagerness comes from the fact that the discussion on these bills has started a long time ago and as such have raised concern locally and internationally, and secondly, the enactment of the bills will improve the rights and protection of workers.
“Finally, I am informed that workers and employers will be able to form bargaining councils so that each sector can determine conditions of work that are best suited to it and not rely on the minimum standard established by law,” Leoma said.
Chief executive officer of the association of Lesotho employers and business, Lindiwe Sephomolo said that the employers are eager to provide advice to the minister on all matters affecting labour and employment, industrial relations and working conditions according to the labour.
Sephomolo added that the employers of Lesotho are faced with numerous challenges, warning that COVID-19 has brought a major challenge with regard to employee safety as employers are responsible to ensure that not only workers are safe but also customers are not placed at a risk of infection.”
“Secondly, employers are struggling to remain competitive. We have to focus on how we remain productive. In most sectors such as manufacturing, price and timeous delivery are critical to the success of the business. This becomes impossible when minimum wages are raised by 14 percent.
“Thirdly, employers are also finding it difficult to adjust to an environment where there is frequent change, volatility and uncertainty.
She revealed that employers are not consulted when regulations, guidelines and directives are made thereby placing pressure on business ability to be agile and responsive.
Sephomolo cried out that the association’s letters addressed to the ministry were not being responded to but hoped for turning a new page on the matter.
The secretary general of Lesotho Labour Council, Paul Sematlane observed that coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on an already fragile economy.
“The situation has exposed the world of work to the state of desperation and sudden collapse of normal trade and labour practices where creation of employment for the benefit of tripartite aspirations of government, labour and business have become impossible.
“Before the arrival of COVID-19, the global commission on the future of work reported that 344 million jobs have to be created by 2030, 190 million people are unemployed of whom 64.8 million are youth, 300 million workers live in extreme poverty and two billion people make their living in the informal economy.”
Sematlane said that now with the arrival of COVID-19, the situation has worsened.
He advocated for a campaign to list Covid-19 as a notifiable and compensable diseases under the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
