BY SAHR IBRAHIM KOMBA
232NEWS, FREETOWN
The Sierra Leone Labour Congress has urged the government to review trade Act of 1969 noting that the present Trade Act create room for unfair competition among traders.
The call was made during a workshop at SLLC office in Freetown on August 15th 2023.
Alex Conteh a petty trader noted that there is serious injustice among traders and this can only be addressed when authorities revisit the trade act.
In revisiting the trade act, the government must outline how wholesale and retail should be done, adding that, this will help remove traders from the street across the country, he said.
There is misunderstanding among traders and many do not understand how retail or wholesale is done, he noted.
Speaking at the event, Glorious Momodu said traders face serious challenges and that they suffer in the hands of the government.
He noted that traders have been asked not to do business in the Central Business District and this has affected business greatly.
“We have been threatened by security apparatus and some of our members have been incarcerated without evidence,’’ he mentioned.
He urged the government to provide specific area where traders can do their business freely.He disclosed that some of their members are in correctional centers because they are unable to repay bank loans
Speaking at the program the Deputy Secretary General of Sierra Leone Labour Congress Edward Y Kamara called on Sierra Leoneans to embrace peace.
He said that a country can only be developed when peace and security of citizens are guaranteed and protected.
He said peace is important in nation building, noting that SLLC has played key role in peace building in the country.
“Peace is our key principle as trade unionists,’’ he maintained
Speaking at the program, the Coordinator for Human and Trade Union Rights, Migration Peace and Security Alex Nkosi thanked SLLC for its active involvement in peace building in the country.
He added that this gives them the pretext on how to meet and engage authorities for the way forward.
“As trade union and workers, we always pledge our allegiance to the union and SLLC is not an exception’’ he noted.
We will develop policies to empower workers and we will ensure that workers are treated with dignity, he added.
He encouraged the union to promote peace in their places of work and further called on the government to provide the enabling environment that promotes peace and security for workers in Sierra Leone.
He furthered that Conversation 190 of violence and harassment Convention 2019 is critical in the lives of workers.
“We need to provide good working environment for workers. He said that this convention aims at the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work. If worker do not enjoy peace in a work environment, the home also suffers because of that,’’ he noted.
He mentioned that high cost of living is another cause of insecurity among workers, pointing out that they are overwhelmed with high cost of living. He called on government to look into the condition and service of workers, urging citizens not to allowed politicians to use tribe or religion to divide them while seeking political power in Africa.
The Vice President of SLLC said that there is no doubt corruption has eaten into the fabric of the society, calling on trade unions to stand for the country.
He said they should be active in promoting democracy in the country, noting that the country is not at peace and they should not allow politicians to destroy the gains the country had made over years
He said it the responsibility of every citizen is to ensure that peace prevail in the country, urging trade unionists to promote peace because the importance of peace cannot be overemphasized.
He noted Sierra Leone is a highly polarized society and everyone should be concern about the state of insecurity in the country.
He said that the present happening in Sierra Leone has the propensity to create social insecurity in the country.
He warned against the increasing regional and tribalistic approaches to national issues, stressing the need to prioritize actions that promote peace and security.
He called on the government to engage the opposition in a meaningful dialogue and urged the security sector to stop using excessive use of force against citizens in the country.
