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Labour Commissioner Sinneh Bockarie has reconstituted the Agricultural Trade Group Council to restart collective bargaining in the country’s largest employment sector, following a prolonged period of inactivity that left workers and employers without a formal negotiation platform.
The move comes as Sierra Leone’s labour authorities intensify enforcement of the Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act, 2024, which provides the legal framework for sector-specific bargaining councils under Section 34. The agriculture sector employs an estimated 60-70 percent of the national workforce and contributes approximately 45 percent of GDP.
The reconstitution meeting brought together employer representatives and trade unions after the council failed to convene for an extended period, preventing negotiations on labour conditions in the private agricultural sector.
Bockarie, who also serves as Commissioner of Labour and Employment at the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, facilitated the process as mandated under the 2024 legislation. The Act provides for Trade Group Councils under Section 27 to mediate between employers and workers across various industries.
The commissioner has been at the forefront of broader labour law enforcement efforts, including a recent nationwide work permit compliance campaign and training initiatives for labour inspectors in Bo and Kenema. The ministry has also secured backing from the Sierra Leone Police to strengthen enforcement of the Employment Act, 2023 and Work Permit Act, 2023.
Employers in the agricultural sector are now required to adhere to the national minimum wage of Le1,200, issue written employment contracts, and respect workers’ rights to join trade unions, according to recent ministry directives.
The Industrial Relations and Trade Union Act, passed in May 2024, repealed the decades-old Wages and Industrial Relations Act, 1971 and the Trade Union Act. However, the International Labour Organisation has raised concerns about the law’s compatibility with international conventions, noting restrictive definitions of “worker” and provisions limiting union registration.
The Agricultural Trade Group Council covers one of 19 sectors with active collective agreements in Sierra Leone, according to government data reported to the ILO.
