Vice President Juldeh Jalloh made the statement in respond to the statement made by the President of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress Jennings Wright that Sierra Leone is presently in turmoil. “There is no turmoil in Sierra Leone. I totally disagree. The fact is that the SLPP (Sierra Leone Peoples Party) won the election and is ruling, and Government is implementing policies” he lamented to the gathering. He emphasized that the Government of Sierra Leone cannot trade for anything but graciously moves on as a Government.
Vice President Jalloh educated the gathering on the huge strides made by the President Bio’s Administration to approved new schools and teachers, and will continue to approve more teachers to boost the Free Quality Education. He articulated the recruitment process of nurses by the present Government, as well as prioritizing pin code nurses in the health sector. Dr. Jalloh again made clarification on Government decision’s to disengage and not interfered into the affairs of Labour Union and even University Administrations. He made it clear that Government will continue to oversee institutions in the country despite the progressive disengagement; he stated that the responsibility for institutions to function well in the country lies in the hands of Government. Vice President Jalloh assured labour workers of Government willingness to give liberty to Labour Union and other institutions to operate at liberty as well as provide the necessary support required for institutions to work better, and admonished the Labour Union and other institutions to be law abiding.
Dr. Jalloh said that the International Workers Day is designed to celebrate the hard work of the labour force in the world. The day, the Vice President stated is celebrated to remember with equal pride and reverence, the selfless labour and indefatigable contributions of the compatriot workers in the country. He referred to the labour force as critical force to nation building, stating that a modern State cannot function adequately without a viable workforce. He maintained that it is incumbent on Government to provide the environment that favours the emergence and sustenance of a viable labour force.
Dr. Jalloh informed the listeners about the Government respond to the needs of the work force over the last one year by increasing salaries of junior workers and the public sector from 5% in July from the revised 2018 budget to 10% in November from the 2019 budget which have taken effect. He encouraged the Labour Union and the labour force to form a viable partnership with Government, and work in unity for the purpose of moving the country forward. The International Labour Day celebration was organized at the forecourt of Miatta Conference Centre, Brookfields in Freetown on May 1, 2019 on the theme “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Empowerment.”
