Labour Ministry Seeks Land to Establish Specialized Labour Court

By Awan Achiek

The Minister of Labour, Anthony Lino Makana, met with the Governor of Central Equatoria State, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, to request land for a specialized labour court. This court aims to improve the resolution of disputes between workers and employers in the country.

Speaking to the media after the Monday meeting, Minister Makana stated he was consulting with the Central Equatoria State government and the Juba City Council to secure suitable premises for the court.

“As per our policy, the Ministry of Labour is supposed to have a Labour Court. This is part of the implementation of the Labour Act, which was passed in 2017. Currently, we do not have a space to establish it,” Makana said.

He emphasized that a dedicated labour court would provide an appropriate legal mechanism for handling employment-related disputes and help strengthen the protection of workers’ rights.

“We need to consult with the governor and the mayor to secure a space because many issues involve South Sudanese employees being treated unfairly at their workplaces,” he explained.

 “They want to bring these issues to us in the Ministry, but it is not the Ministry’s mandate to adjudicate; that is a matter for the court.”

Makana added that the proposed Labour Court would be established in Central Equatoria State as a model project. If successful, it could subsequently be replicated across the ten states.

“I want to establish a specialized labour court in South Sudan. It will be the first of its kind, designed to address the grievances of both employees and employers.”

Emmanuel Adil Anthony, the Governor of Central Equatoria State, stated that the meeting accelerated the establishment of the first-ever Labour Court in the state.

“We extensively discussed how to fast-track the start of the Labour Court in Central Equatoria State, particularly in Juba. This court will address cases concerning our employers and employees in the labour industry, which is critical because we are talking about human resources and service delivery,” Adil said.

He affirmed that the court would be vital in addressing issues and grievances of government employees.

“It has been agreed that this court will be in Juba City. They will relocate the court chair with the bench from an existing court. When that time comes, of course, there are processes for the Chief Justice to designate judges.”

He concluded that the relevant authorities would coordinate to identify suitable premises in Juba, while the necessary judicial processes, including the designation of judges by the Chief Justice, are carried out.