By Mustapha Sesay
The Director of Education at the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, Max Conteh has told Politico that Sierra Leone has the lowest wage in the world, with a minimum monthly wage of Le 21,000 (about $ 5). He said this after a press conference held on Wednesday at the Labour Congress office in Freetown.
Speaking to journalists earlier at the news conference, the president of Sierra Leone Labour congress, Mohamed Deen said the country would be joining the world to celebrate International Workers Day on 1 May this year with the theme, “Action now to ensure decent work and pay for all work.”
Deen said that 1 May, otherwise known as May Day, was celebrated by workers all over the world in recognition of their “hard work” and the challenges they face during the cause of duty.
The labor leader said these challenges “range from actualization of labour and contract employment at all levels, poverty and inequality in the distribution of wealth, to the absence of a realistic minimum wage”.
Deen said that some employers wanted to pay pittance rather than sit down and negotiate in bargaining councils. He said that some even blackmail workers with statements like “If you don’t want to work for what we offer, there are thousands out there desperately seeking for job for any pay”.
He called on government to provide the environment to ensure that trade unions were fully informed about its deliberations, policies, programs and their projects.
