PRESS RELEASE

The Honourable Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Sello Machakela, yesterday, 14 August 2002, held the first of tripartite consultative meetings with leaders of employers and workers organisations.  The Organisations that were present were the Association of Lesotho Employers (ALE), Congress of Lesotho Trade Unions (COLETU), Lesotho Trade Unions Congress (LTUC), Lesotho Federation of Democratic Unions (LFDU) and Congress of Trade Unions (CTU).

The purpose of this tripartite consultative meeting, and other similar meetings to follow, is to further strengthen social dialogue and tripartite cooperation between the Government, employers and workers organisations. These meetings will provide a forum in which discussions will be held and consensus reached on major issues of importance that relate to the economy of the country. Such issues will include employment promotion/creation, poverty reduction and decent working conditions.      

During the meeting, the Minister laid emphasis on the fact that as social partners, Government, employers and workers should stand together to strengthen one another to attain stability and industrial peace at workplaces with the aim of strengthening the economy of the country.

In the same token, both leaders of workers’ and employers’ organisations expressed their appreciation for meeting, and added that it will provide a chance where broad policy issues relating to the development of the country will be discussed. This in their opinion will obviate the common practise whereby each social partner has their non-sectarian interests to pursue, which at times is not for the benefit of the country as a whole.

All the parties agreed that the next meeting will be held during the first week of September.    

15 AUGUST, 2002