By: Melvin Flomo
The Minister of Labour, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, has assured the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the government’s unwavering commitment to upholding the principle of Freedom of Association and harmonizing the country’s dual labour laws, the Decent Work Act and the Civil Service Standing Orders.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with a visiting ILO Technical Advisory Mission, Minister Kruah emphasized that while strides have been made to allow civil servants and private sector employees, including teachers and health workers, to unionize, the Ministry still needs technical assistance to align existing laws with international labour standards.
“We recognize that not all public sector workers are classified as civil servants. Health workers and teachers, especially in the private sector, now have the legal space to unionize,” Kruah said. “Though there are still restrictions under the Civil Service Standing Orders, we have not ruled out the need to harmonize the two labour laws.”
The Labour Minister added that since both laws were enacted by the National Legislature, the Ministry cannot act unilaterally but welcomes support from the ILO to help facilitate legislative engagement.
The ILO delegation was led by Madam Vanessa Phala, Regional Director for English-speaking West African States, who said the Mission’s visit is in response to recommendations from the ILO Committee of Experts in September 2023. The recommendations pertain to the enforcement of Convention 87 (Freedom of Association) and Convention 98 (Right to Collective Bargaining).
“Our mission aims to support Liberia in developing a roadmap for implementing and reporting on international labour standards,” Madam Phala stated. “This is a process that will require ongoing dialogue, and we are ready to support Liberia’s development goals under the ARREST Agenda.”
She praised the Ministry for creating an open platform for engagement and reaffirmed ILO’s commitment to supporting Liberia’s preparations for the upcoming ILO Conference in June.
Madam Phala also stressed the importance of protecting workers' rights across all sectors and pledged continued support to the Ministry of Labour in strengthening Liberia’s labour governance systems.
