Promoting Decent Work in Liberia

G U R U S

September 10, 2023

How can we promote “decent work” in Liberia with two different labor instruments governing our employment sectors? The Civil Service Standing Order and the Decent Work Act [2015]. It becomes problematic to implement because decent work practices of one sector may not apply to the Civil Service Standing Order; thereby repudiating one sector of employees’ social protection, rights at work, and

Social dialogue.

In 2015, the Decent Work Act of Liberia was passed into law to replace the old Labour Law practices. The phrase Decent Work originated from the International Labor Organization (1999); and refers to employment that “contributes to the social and economic stability” of employees. Decent work fashions are a traditional modification toward an unbiased and unwavering workforce, investing in the employer’s capability to economically improve their quality of life.

“Decent work” sums up the ambitions of people in their professional journeys and encompasses the prospects for work that is dynamic and creates the system for a nondiscriminatory salary, security in the workplace and social protection, healthier projections for employees’ individual growth, and social assimilation, freedom of expression, psychological safety, participation in the resolutions and policies that have an emotional impact on their lives and equal opportunity and treatment for all.

The UN General Assembly in September 2015, outlined four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda which include:

employment creation,
social protection,
rights at work, and
Social dialogue – became an integral element of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calling for the promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work.

Until we can push to have one labor law governing all employees in Liberia, Decent work practices remain challenging and one sector of employees will not enjoy social protection, rights at work, and Social Dialogue

Admin

Jonah Soe Kotee is a Liberian human resources and employment-law professional with more than 20 years of experience in human resource management, employment relations and workforce development in Liberia and internationally. He holds an LLM in Employment Law from the University of Leicester and a Master’s degree in Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of Roehampton in the United Kingdom. He is also a Certified Global Talent Management Professional (GTML) and has undertaken professional training in Strategic HR through Cornell University. Jonah is the Chief Executive Officer of Gurus HR Consultancy Group, a Liberia-based human resources advisory firm providing recruitment, HR consulting, payroll, HR outsourcing, Employer of Record solutions, training, compensation and benefits, and employment-law advisory services. He also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in Human Resources at AME University, where he contributes to the development of graduate-level HR professionals. Jonah has a particular professional interest in Liberia’s labour and employment framework, human capital development, workplace compliance, compensation, employment relations and the future of work in Liberia. Through his professional work and public commentary, he advocates for a labour market that protects workers while enabling responsible employers to grow, invest and create sustainable employment opportunities. His perspective is informed by practical HR experience as well as academic training in employment law and strategic human resource management. About this article: This article represents the author’s professional perspective on issues that should be considered in discussions surrounding the modernization and reform of Liberia’s labour and employment framework. It is intended to encourage informed dialogue among employers, workers, HR professionals, policymakers, trade unions, legal practitioners and other stakeholders.