National employment policy promotes decent work |08 October 2014

Through the launch of the new National Employment Policy, greater emphasis is being placed on decent work.

Therefore the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development presents this article in commemoration of World Day for Decent Work which is today, October 7, and is an initiative of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
What exactly is decent work?

Decent work brings together the four strategic objectives of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which are Employment, Rights at work, Social Protection and Social Dialogue.

The ILO further elaborates on the meaning of decent work as involving work opportunities that are:  productive, delivers fair income, offers security in the workplace, social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom to express their concerns and the equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.  
 
The objectives of decent work which are interconnected are worked around by various well-coordinated and implemented programmes brought about by the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development.

Particularly, Seychelles has developed its own Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCP) which was signed by the government and the ILO in 2011. DWCP is one of the strategies used by the ILO to create and promote decent work around the world.  

The main benefits of the DWCP for Seychelles are to create a modernised and balanced labour legislation, to ensure decent work for all workers and to strengthen social dialogue with employers and workers’ organisations.

The ways in which the DWCP brings together its main objectives are through:

-    Adopting new strategies to educate the population on their rights and responsibilities as citizens and workers. This will eventually lead to the enhancement of productivity for effective economic growth.

-    Passing legislation such as the Employment Act and Occupational Safety and Health Decree which make provision for occupational accidents, working conditions and other benefits.

-    Creating awareness among employers and employees on tri-partism. Through this, employers and workers learn of a formal bipartite structure between themselves as a priority to further strengthen social dialogue.

-    Addressing the challenges from economic and financial issues that may arise.

Accordingly the ministry will continue to collaborate closely with the ILO and its partners to continuously create decent work for workers in Seychelles.