LESOTHO: BETTER WORK THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

UNCLAS MASERU 000100


DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR ILAB/OTLA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: BETTER WORK THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
ASSISTANCE


1. The U.S Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor
Affairs is considering implementing a program to address worker
rights through technical assistance in countries with which the
United States has trade preference programs. The proposed
project would focus on compliance with core labor standards,
enforcing worker's rights and improving conditions for workers.


2. For the Lesotho government, creating an enabling environment
for investment and trade is a top priority. Lesotho has already
indicated a willingness to participate in such a program. They
have conceptualized a program called "Better Work Lesotho,"
which aims to improve work conditions, ensure adherence to the
labor standards, and provide responsible reporting.
Unfortunately, only 30% of funding has been secured. The
government of Lesotho welcomes the proposed assistance from DOL,
which they hope can expedite the implementation of Better Work
Lesotho.


3. The Embassy recommends sourcing this project out to the
International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO is
internationally recognized for its work on human and labor
rights, and it has the unique ability and expertise to implement
such a project. In Lesotho the ILO has been instrumental in
designing and executing projects that assisted the Ministry of
Labor and Employment to strengthen the administration of the
national law in order to comply with the principles embodied in
the ILO`s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Right at
Work adopted in 1998.


4. The recent programs that ILO executed successfully in Lesotho
include Improving Labor Systems in Southern Africa (ILSSA) and
Towards the Elimination of Child Labor (TECL). Both programs
were funded through USDOL. TECL has been able to develop
comprehensive time-bound strategies focusing on child labor.
The project has laid a foundation for concerted action against
the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL) in Lesotho. TECL support
to Lesotho contributed to knowledge on WFCL and the subsequent
country action plan to address them.


5. Through the ILSSA project, capacity has been built in the
inspectorate division of the Department of Labor and officers
are now equipped with knowledge and skills about integrated
labor inspection, including occupational and safety inspections.
Systems have been developed to create a database on labor
market information. In addition, through the same project, the
Directorate for Dispute Prevention and Resolution developed a
system to store and manage data on Arbitration awards.


6. ILO's efforts are also evident on the issue of HIV and AIDS
at the work place. Lesotho's labor market, like the rest of the
country, has a high prevalence of HIV and AIDS. It is important
for any project working in this area to address the long-term
impact of the epidemic on the labor market. The ILO assisted
the Government of Lesotho in amending the Labor Code to require
employers to develop HIV/AIDS policies and programs to support
infected and affected workers. The Department of Labor also
established a new HIV/AIDS section, which sensitizes workers and
employers on issues relating to the epidemic.


7. Since Better Work Lesotho is an initiative that is building
on the foundations laid from these initiatives, the ILO is
already familiar with institutional structures and systems which
should facilitate successful execution of Better Work Lesotho.
For these reasons, we see the ILO as the ideal implementing
partner for this DOL initiative.

NOLAN