Sierra Leone Labour Congress

01/05/2025

The Danish Trade Union Development Agency receives a Development Partnership Award during the Labour Day Awards ceremony in recognition of its development work in Sierra Leone to promote the interest and rights of informal economy workers.

The Sierra Leone Labour Congress is proud of this recognition and applauds the Ministry of Employment Labour and Social Security and the Sierra Leone Employers Federation for such a recognition of its long standing partner.

01/05/2025

State of the President of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress on Labour Day

Your Excellency the President
The Minister of Labour & Social Security
Other Ministers of Government
Parliamentarians
Employers
Colleague Workers,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

As we join other countries the world over to commemorate the International Workers’ Day, otherwise known as “Labour Day or May Day,” I am happy to address you on behalf of workers of this nation.

Your Excellency the President, Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, today’s May Day celebration is different. It is different because it is celebrated jointly by the tripartite constituents of the labour movement in Sierra Leone. We are very much appreciative of having the Sierra Leone Employers’ Federation and Government through the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security to join in the preparation and celebration of May Day. It is also different because, I will not highlight the plethora of concerns as I normally do for government and other stakeholders to address. This is because, government in its wisdom thought it fit to address the many problems of workers on a social dialogue forum and a National Labour Conference held on the 29th and 30th April, 2025 respectively. In those twin programs, our concerns were raised in the face of government and employers and we had a successful deliberation in which they pledged to address them.
On that behalf, Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank both the Honourable Vice President Dr, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh and the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social security, Mr Mohamed Rahman Swarray for conceptualizing the idea of holding a Social Dialogue Forum and a National Labour Conference as prelude to the May Day celebration. This cannot be held a better time!

Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, I take this opportunity to welcome and to thank His Excellency the President, Brig. (Rtd) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone for gracing the May Day commemoration for the second time.

This year’s May Day theme is “Shaping the Future of Work: Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Just Transition.” This theme was carefully thought out because of its aptness in relation to the prevailing circumstances defining a new order in work relations the world over.
Your Excellency the President, Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, the world of work is undergoing a seismic shift. Rapid technological advancements, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the relentless pace of digital transformation are reshaping industries, job roles, and even the very nature of employment.

Today, as we celebrate workers for their tremendous work in making Sierra Leone a better place to live in, we are mindful of the opportunities and challenges we face in the face of new innovations, and technological advancement which pose to either widen inequalities or to pave the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Innovation has always been the engine of progress. From the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Age, each wave of technological advancement has redefined how we work. Today, automation, AI, and machine learning are not just tools—they are transforming entire sectors, creating new opportunities while rendering some traditional jobs obsolete.

This is why are calling government and educational institutions to refine educational curricular to meet the new challenges by training a workforce that can be employable in the face advance technological development. We cannot shape the future of work if we cannot shape the future of education and skills training within the context of innovation, digital transformation and just transition and climate change.

Your Excellency the President, Mr Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, while innovation brings immense potential, it also poses risks. Job displacement, skills gaps, and economic disparities threaten social stability. A just transition that balances technological progress with worker protection is essential. This means:

1. Reskilling & Upskilling Workers – i. e. investing in lifelong learning so employees can adapt to new roles in a digital economy.

2. Social Protection Policies – i. e. Strengthening social security especially for informal workers, safety nets, including universal health coverage, and portable social security benefits for migrant workers.

3. Inclusive Growth – i. e. Ensuring marginalized groups, women, and youth, informal and migrant have equal access to emerging opportunities.

4. Sustainable Practices – i. e. Aligning digital growth with environmental goals, promoting green jobs, and responsible AI use.

The future of work is not predetermined—it is shaped by the choices we make today. Governments must enact forward-thinking policies. Businesses must adopt ethical technology and fair labour practices. Educators must redesign curricula for future skills. And as individuals, we must embrace adaptability and continuous learning.
Let us commit to a future where innovation serves humanity—where digital transformation drives not just efficiency, but equity; not just growth, but shared prosperity.

LONG LIVE WORKERS OF SIERRA LEONE!

LONG LIVE WORKERS’ SOLIDARITY!!

LONG LIVE THE SIERRA LEONE LABOUR CONGRESS!!!

GOD BLESS THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE!!!!

01/05/2025

Today, the Sierra Leone Labour Congress together with the Sierra Leone Employers Federation and the Ministry of Employment Labour and Social Security celebrate the International Workers' Day to applaud the Workers of Sierra Leone for their efforts in development of the country

Shaping the Future of Work in an innovative Digital Transformation within a Just Transition

08/03/2025

The Sierra Leone Labour Congress

Women's Committee commemorates International Women's Day on Saturday, 8th March, 2025 at the Solidarity Hall, Labour Congress Building

35 Wallace Johnson Street Freetown
at 11 am. on the theme: ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS: RIGHT, EQUALITY, AND EMPLOYMENT

18/12/2024

The Women of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress met the Minister of Labour and requested for the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on Violence and harassment at work.

Minister of Employment, Labour, and Social Security Mohamed Rahman Swaray has assured a delegation of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress Women's Committee headed by Madam Gladys Blanche that, the government is committed to ratifying the International Labour Organization's Convention 190, which seeks to address violence and harassment in the workplace, focusing on safeguarding women's rights and creating a safer work environment.

"We will ratify C190 but first we will engage with you all to ensure we model it in the Sierra Leonean context, there is already a draft cabinet paper in progress" Minister Swaray assured the group.

The group of women visited the Minister to advocate for the ratification of ILO's C190.

23/10/2024

Sierra Leone Labour Congress with support from the validates a report of the assessment of decent work deficits for rural agricultural workers in selected value chains within the framework of the funded Opportunity Salone project.

Among the goals of the project, is to see job creation and job quality in the agricultural value chain with a focus on palm oil, cassava, and vegetables in Sierra Leone.

03/08/2024

The Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC) in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in Brussels held a three days workshop on the “Interplay of the New Labour Laws in Promoting Decent Work in the World of Work in Sierra Leone” from Wednesday 31st July to Friday 2nd August, 2024 at the Solidarity Hall of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress.

The aim is to bring together workers of different sectors through their trade unions, government through officials of the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security and employers through the Sierra Leone Employers Federation to discuss the new labour laws of Sierra Leone to strengthen a harmonious relationship between the tripartite social partners thereby eliminating disruptive industrial disputes and promote decent work.

The workshop specifically addressed issues relating but not limited to the following:
i. Decent work and Social Dialogue
ii. Grievance management procedures
iii. Understanding the new Labour Laws:
- The Employment Act, 2023
- The Overseas Employment and Migrant Act, 2023
- The Work Permit Act, 2023
iv. The role of Trade unions and Employers organization in promoting decent work.

The President of the Sierra Sierra Leone Labour Congress, Comrade Mohamed S. Bangura stated in his opening that Sierra Leone labour laws were inherited from Britain and had been in operation from the colonial period. According to him the these laws were not reviewed over a long period of time and rendered them obsolete in terms of current best practice in industrial relations. As a result of this, he went further to state that the labour laws were not in consonance with international labour standards as well as fundamental human rights instruments which in effect negate the adherence to international best practices in labour and employment relations in the country especially with ratified ILO conventions.

The President thanked government for its priority of giving an opportunity to ensure the review and legislation of labour laws as pronounced by the President Bio in one of his address at the State opening of parliament was achieved by reviewing and enacting new labour laws for Sierra Leone.

Max Conteh, the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress welcomed participants and gave a lengthy history of the process of reviewing the labour laws of Sierra Leone which according to him started in 1996 but had only being completed in 2023 through the effort of the current government.

The Executive Secretary of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation, Ojo Collier thanked the SLLC and its partners for organising such an important workshop and for inviting them to deepen knowledge and application of the New Labour laws.

The Commissioner of Labour, Francis Chiblee Kamara of the Ministry of Employment Labour and Social Security commended the Labour Congress for opening discussion on the new labour laws as he pointed that this will in no small way bolster understanding of the new labour laws and promote decent work in Sierra Leone.

The following were the themes of presentations:
• Background of the Review Process of the Labour Laws – Recounting the efforts of the JCC by Max Conteh, Secretary General, Sierra Leone Labour Congress
• Employment Obligations of the Social Partners under the New Labour Laws for decent work Promotion by Francis Chiblee Kamara, Commissioner of Labour
• The Employment Regulations in Effecting the Employment Act, 2023 by Francis Chiblee Kamara, Commissioner of Labour
• How to Integrate Provision of the Employment Act, 2023 into Collective Bargaining Agreements by Max Conteh, Secretary General, Sierra Leone Labour Congress
• Understanding the Industrial Regulations and Trade Union Bill by Abu Bakar Sillah, Deputy Director, Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security

• The Role of the Industrial Court in Resolving Industrial Disputes in an Expedient Manner by Justice Leonard Taylor, Judge of the Industrial Court.

Participants of the workshop expressed thanks to the Labour Congress and for for organising such an important workshop and all agreed that they have learnt a great deal on the new labour laws and pledged to do whatsoever to ensure their effective and adequate implementation.

28/07/2024

The Sierra Leone Labour Congress in collaboration with the ILO Actrav - Abuja Office held a 2 days workshop on the theme: "Value Chains for Decent Work in the RuralEconomy: Trade Unions Strategies and Actions " at the Family Kingdom, Aberdeen Freetown from 25th - 26th June, 2024.

The Workshop which sought to develop a strategy plan to promote decent work I
Within the Opportunity Salone Project Value chains was graced by the Mr. Mohamed Rahman Swarray, the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed S. Banguara, the President of the Labour Congress, Max Conteh, the Secretary General of Labour Congress, Madam Inviolata Chinyangarara, the ILO Abuja Office Workers' Specialist and representatives of Trade Unions.

27/07/2024

The Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA) is working with Sierra Leone Labour Congress to organize workers from the informal economy in the country's waste sector and create better working conditions for waste collectors.

Collecting trash in Freetown is both hard and dangerous. On the other hand, the waste collectors only earn a pittance. The DTDA and the Labour Congress cooperate to improve conditions for waste collectors. All of this efforts will add up to the national plan to protect the environment and mitigate climate change issues especially flooding.

The SLLC/DTDA action on Waste Management did a documentary on the daily work of waste collectors in freetown U.S. Embassy Freetown, Sierra Leone

https://www.ulandssekretariatet.dk/artikler/bedre-arbejdsforhold-til-sierra-leones-skraldesamlere/

It is only in Danish titles for now, but we will of course also make an English version of the film. We will share that with you when it is finalized.

”Det her er min vogn. Det er den, jeg bruger til at tjene penge til at opretholde min familie. Det er sådan, jeg overlever,” siger Alfred Joe, og viser den ramponerede metal-trækvogn frem, som han bruger til at samle skrald i Sierra Leones hovedstad, Freetown: ”Det her arbejde er meget hård...

02/07/2024

27/06/2024

The Sierra Leone Labour Congress in collaboration with the ILO Actrav - Abuja Office held a 2 days workshop on the theme: "Value Chains for Decent Work in the RuralEconomy: Trade Unions Strategies and Actions " at the Family Kingdom, Aberdeen Freetown from 25th - 26th June, 2024.

The Workshop which sought to develop a strategy plan to promote decent work I
Within the Opportunity Salone Project Value chains was graced by the Mr. Mohamed Rahman Swarray, the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed S. Banguara, the President of the Labour Congress, Max Conteh, the Secretary General of Labour Congress, Madam Inviolata Chinyangarara, the ILO Abuja Office Workers' Specialist and representatives of Trade Unions.

28/05/2024

The Parliament of Sierra Leone has today enacted the Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act 2024.

The new law, which was passed after its third reading in Parliament, underwent rigorous scrutiny and debate before receiving unanimous approval from the lawmakers.

This Act is the fourth of six proposed labour laws to be enacted since the country’s obsolete labour regulations were reviewed and harmonized last year. The review process aims at modernizing Sierra Leone's outdated labour laws.

It follows the Employment Act 2023, the Work Permit Act 2023, and the Overseas Employment and Migrant Workers Act 2023, all enacted last year.

The Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act 2024 lays the foundation for employer-employee relationships in the workplace and defines the establishment and operations of trade unions across the country.