Minister of Employment, Labour, and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, on 18th January 2024, engaged Chief Justice Nicholas Browne Marke and High Court Judges to address challenges of backlogs in the Industrial Court. The Minister was accompanied by senior staff of the Ministry, including the Permanent Secretary, Fatmata Mustapha.
Part 3 section 34 of the existing Act, which is the Regulations of Wages and Industrial Relation Act number 18 of 1971, makes provision for the establishment of an Industrial Court charged with the responsibility to hear unresolved disputes relating to labour and employment.
Minister Rado Swaray, in his submission, thanked the Chief Justice for his time and the judiciary for their work over the years in addressing labour dispute matters. However, Minister Swaray outlined challenges that are hindering the seamless administration of justice in the Industrial Court. The Minister was concerned about the delay of matters due to the number of adjournments that are creating unrest in plenty of workplaces. He called on the judiciary to fast-track all cases to enhance harmony in the labour industry.
Non-appearance by the other party, the absence of assessors as provided for in section 33 subsection 3 of the Regulation of Wages and Industrial Relation Act No. 18 of 1971, lack of paralegal training for labour officers, no proper schedule for industrial matters, judgement delayed, delay to deliver copies of judgement by the court clerk, are among the challenges put forward by the Minister.
“President Bio seeks to see an environment where workers and employers can easily get justice that will promote harmony in workplaces. Chief Justice, I want to graciously appeal to you to ensure all bottlenecks are removed in delaying justice in the Industrial Court.” Minister Swaray said.
Responding to this, the Chief Justice commended the Ministry for their cooperation and engagement to promote the discharge of Justice. The Chief Justice assured the Minister that the Judiciary is working around the clock to address the challenges faced by the Industrial Court. He called for more collaboration and engagement.
In conclusion, Minister Swaray disclosed that the Ministry will have a Legal Adviser who will be looking at all labour dispute matters before they are taken to court. Training sessions on Labour Laws for Judges and Ministry Staff were also recommended.
