Les Assises du Travail et de l’Emploi is currently being hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations in Mauritius with the overarching theme of fostering social dialogue on labour issues.
The discussions, taking place over three days from 23 to 25 September at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation in Côte d’Or, seek to bring together interested parties, including the Congress of Independent Trade Unions, Business Mauritius and a range of other social partners and stakeholders, with the support and participation of the International Labour Office (ILO).
Key issues on the agenda include labour rights and conditions, employability and migration, current occupational safety and health, industrial relations and dispute resolution mechanisms.
ILO reaffirms steadfast commitment to support Mauritius on path to transformation
Speaking in the opening ceremony on 23 September, Mr Frederik Muia, Director, ILO Country Office for Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles, recalled that that the ILO’s work is conducted under the four pillars of its decent work agenda, namely employment creation, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue.
Commenting on the situation in Mauritius, Mr Muia saw that it was vital to “harness Mauritius’s diversifying economy to convert growth into high-quality inclusive jobs” and to consider how this diversifying economy could create opportunities for the weakest in society, by prioritising green jobs, blue economy, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship. He noted that these were some of the issues that are being captured in the national employment policy that had been developed with the support of the ILO.
Mr Muia explained that he was co-chairing the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, which focuses on prosperity for Mauritius. He noted that the work undertaken by the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Relations was also being taken into account in this forum.
He commented that “social protection is a fundamental human right and not a luxury. The COVID-19 crisis vividly illustrated the life-saving role of strong safety nets. Mauritius has built an exemplary system through mandatory contributions, workers’ access to pensions, healthcare, and family benefits.Yet we cannot rest on just these achievements. Gaps persist, especially extending coverage to those working in the informal economy, enhancing healthcare accessibility, and fostering income security during unemployment or retirement. The ILO urges you to work towards extending these opportunities, especially to the most vulnerable”, he underlined.
He welcomed the fact that rights at work were to be discussed during the forum, highlighting that “upholding fundamental principles and rights at work is the bedrock of decent work”, which encompasses freedom of association, the eradication of forced labour, child labour, and all forms of discrimination. “As Mauritius advances its labour laws and enforcement, we must work together to guarantee dignity, fairness, and protection for every worker, irrespective of their status or background. Violations erode trust,” he emphasised.
Mr Muia described social dialogue as “the essential bond that unites our endeavours” which “cultivates trust, forges consensus, and ensures policies reflect the real needs of workers and employers alike”. Overall, he reaffirmed the ILO’s steadfast commitment to Mauritius on the path to transformation and stated that “the ILO applauds your dedication to tripartism and calls for deepened collaboration among government, employers, and workers to co-create the future of work”.
Minister Uteem highlights focus on labour rights and conditions
Commenting on the social dialogue to follow, Hon. Uteem saw that the discussions would extend beyond rights at work but would also look into the resolutions of conflicts, fair representation, and employment creation and sustainability development.
Rather than coming forward with legislative changes and presenting a ‘fait accompli’, the Minister explained that the aim was “to hold dialogues, to have a feeling about what are the concerns of the employers, what are the expectations of the employees, and how we can manage to bring together all these ideas and come up with a consensus. Obviously, it would not be easy. If we’re able to get unanimity during these three days, I’ll be very happy, but it’s very unlikely that we will have unanimity because everybody has his own set of interests, and the aim of putting everyone together is to try to converge those interests into a win-win situation, something that when everybody leaves these assises, they would leave it with a sense that we’ve made progress,” he underlined.
He explained that the discussions would begin with a focus on labour rights and conditions, and whether their goals are up to date. “Do we need to extend the definition of a worker now as a result of inflation, the minimum wage, relativity adjustment, when a lot of workers who used to fall within the definition of worker, earning less than Rs 600,000 a year, are now outside the scope of the Workers’ Rights act, and therefore, several of the provisions of the Workers’ Rights Act are not automatically applicable to them? They have to rely on collective bargaining or contract to be able to have their rights,” he noted.
In terms of industrial relations and workers’ representation, the Minister understood that there was more work to be done in terms of unifying the trade unions in Mauritius. He recognised that there was a call for a trade union house, and said he was “all in favour of it”, but that the various corporations would have to put aside their differences and work together for the betterment of workers. He also highlighted the importance of discussions on a dispute resolution mechanism. He saw that “if we don’t have a speedy resolution mechanism, that’s only going to aggravate the industrial problems between workers and employers”. He invited the participants to engage freely in the social dialogue, and stated that further dialogues would follow, with a committee set up to monitor and implement the outcome of the assises.
