Trade Unions and Public March to Submit Grievances to Prime Minister

Members of Lesotho’s trade unions, together with some members of the general public, participated in a march to hand over their letter of grievances to Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane.

Representing the trade unions, a group calling itself “The Big Six” expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister was not present to personally receive their letter. They noted that although representatives had been sent on his behalf, they were not informed of the reason for his absence ahead. Among the issues raised in their letter of demands include the government to, enact laws protecting factory workers at their workplaces, work to ensure the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to safeguard factory jobs, address the country’s high unemployment rate, follow up on factory investors who left the country without paying employees their terminal benefits, and, if unsuccessful, have the government itself pay those benefits.

The letter also calls on the government to instruct the Lesotho Electricity Company to reduce electricity costs, suggesting that M20 should be the cost of 20 units of power.

Other concerns include the need to make passport acquisition smoother and faster, and for Lesotho’s Parliament to engage with South Africa’s Parliament to protect Basotho workers from harassment in that country.

Meanwhile, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Limpho Tau, was among those delegated to receive the letter on behalf of the Prime Minister.