By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Secretary- General of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress has expressed the group’s satisfaction with the establishment of the Wages and Salary Commission as enshrined in the Wages and Compensation Commission Act of 2023.
The commission is mandated to determine wages and compensation for public sector employees, harmonise the public sector pay system that reflects equity and merit and improve other related matters.
Speaking to Politico, Max K. Conteh said the pressure group has long advocated for the establishment of such a commission that oversees the welfare of public sector workers. He expressed optimism that the commission will serve its purpose since the labour congress is part of the commission. “We are a strong advocate for the establishment of the commission because there are a lot of inequalities in the pay system. So we are very happy about the establishment and our involvement will go a long way in ensuring its efficiency,” he said.
He could not say when the commission would start its operation but said the appointment of the commission’s chairperson Alpha Timbo whom he referred to as the appropriate indicates that things will soon fall in their right places. He added that when the commission is fully functional, it will deal directly with aggrieved workers to channel their concerns to the appropriate authorities,” he said.
The Commission according to the Act is headed by the chairman who is appointed by the President of Sierra Leone while the Vice President will be appointed by the other members of the commission. The other members of the commission include the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, the Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, and the President Sierra Leone Pensioners Association, among others.
The Newly appointed chairman of the commission who happens to be the first in the role, Alpha Timbo was a trade unionist who served as Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) in the1990s. From 2001 to 2002, he served as the Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations under the Ahmad Tejan Kabbah administration during which he established the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) and the National Social Safety Net. Timbo in 2012 was a candidate in the race to lead the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) to the polls. He however finished fourth at the convention held in Freetown, a race that was won by the now-President Julius Maada Bio. But, their party could not win that election.
When President Bio took office in 2018, Timbo was appointed as the Labour Minister. Until his latest appointment, he was Presidential adviser for Job Creation.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (22/11/23)
