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The Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC), in partnership with the Sierra Leone Domestic Workers Union (SLeDoWU) and international stakeholders, has launched a three-day workshop aimed at improving protections for domestic and migrant workers through the full implementation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189.
The event, themed “ILO Convention 189 and Decent Work for Migrant Domestic Workers: Moving the Agenda Forward,” is being held at the Family Kingdom Resort in Freetown. It brings together government officials, labour organizations, employers, and development partners to address gaps in the enforcement of labour standards.
Adopted in 2011, ILO Convention 189 sets global standards to guarantee fair wages, safe working conditions, and social protection for domestic workers—a sector often excluded from national labour laws. For migrant domestic workers, the convention is particularly significant, as they face heightened risks of exploitation, abuse, and discrimination.
The workshop forms part of the EU-funded Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa project, which runs until 2029 and is jointly implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the ILO, and the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in coordination with the ECOWAS Commission.
Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation in Sierra Leone, Emilio Rossetti, noted that while many countries have ratified the convention, enforcement remains inconsistent. “Domestic work is legitimate work that deserves dignity, fair treatment, and legal protection,” he said.
ILO Officer-in-Charge Tonderai Manoto reported that over 76 million people worldwide are employed as domestic workers, yet many remain underpaid and excluded from social protection systems. He urged Sierra Leone and its partners to ensure decent wages and safer working conditions.
ECOWAS Head of Social Affairs, Dr. Alves D’Almaloa, commended Sierra Leone and Guinea as the only West African nations to ratify the convention. He highlighted its potential to combat unfair wages, discrimination, and xenophobia.
Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, reaffirmed the government’s commitment, recalling that Sierra Leone domesticated Convention 189 in 2021. “Domestic workers contribute to national economic and cultural development, and our laws must protect them equally,” he said.
Other speakers, including Albert Oju Collier of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation, Emmanuel D. Pratt of the Labour Congress, and Alma Heroe of SLeDoWU, emphasized the need for stronger advocacy, policy dialogue, and union capacity building.
The workshop is expected to produce national action plans for protecting domestic workers and to enhance collaboration among government institutions, employers, labour unions, and international partners. By advancing implementation of ILO Convention 189, Sierra Leone aims to strengthen labour rights and set a regional standard for safeguarding domestic and migrant workers.
