South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Wednesday passed a motion to summon Minister of Labour Gen. James Hoth Mai and Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare Aya Benjamin Warille to answer questions regarding their failure to protect employees’ rights.
The summons followed an urgent motion tabled by Hon. Martha Akon Deng, an SPLM-IO lawmaker representing Bor County in Jonglei State, concerning the enforcement of fundamental labour rights for South Sudanese employees.
Hon. Akon expressed concern over reports of illegal entry by foreigners who are taking jobs away from nationals during the recruitment process.
She urged the Ministry of Labour to ensure job security for locals by discouraging foreign workers from participating in small-scale businesses.
“The government should strictly enforce the requirement for work permits for all foreign employees, and no foreigner should engage in any form of work in South Sudan without the necessary permits from the relevant authorities,” Akon stated.
She also called on the Ministry of Labour to conduct an audit of the private sector to determine whether private employers are complying with labour laws, regulations, and standards.
Akon requested that all private companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), whether owned by nationals or foreigners, provide a list and full details of their employees to the assembly.
“The government should reserve all small businesses for South Sudanese. It should implement Section 8 of the Labour Act, 2017, which mandates equal remuneration for equal work of equal value.”
She appealed to employers to take measures to ensure equal pay for all employees performing work of equal value.
“Any unilateral decision made by an employer or group of employers, as well as any provisions of any agreement that contravene the labour laws, regulations, and standards in South Sudan, shall be deemed null and void.”
Hon. Akon suggested the establishment of a labour court and the Office of the Labour Commissioner at all levels, in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Act, 2017.
