Lesotho charts a new path in Public Service labour relations

Maseru, Lesotho. (ILO News) - The Kingdom of Lesotho has taken a historic step forward in strengthening its public service labour relations, with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO). A three-day capacity building workshop was held in Maseru on 14 – 16 April 2025, which brought together senior government officials (Deputy Principal Secretaries, Human Resources Managers) and representatives of public service, health, education, judicial officers trade unions. The workshop was part of a series of capacity building initiatives supported by the ILO following similar sessions that were organised in October 2024 for Cabinet and Principal Secretaries, and Human Resources and Legal Directors and leadership of public service trade unions.

The objective of the workshop was to sensitise participants on the provisions of ILO Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No.151) which Lesotho ratified in 2023, and the Labour Act, 2024 which seek to align Lesotho’s national labour relations system with international labour standards. Participants were also sensitised on the ILO standards that promote freedom of association and collective bargaining (Conventions No. 87 and 98), as well as the practical application of these standards in the public service elsewhere.

Organized by the Ministry of Public Service, the workshop aimed to prepare bipartite partners in the public service for a significant transformation in the country’s public service landscape.

emphasized the government's commitment to promoting harmonious, inclusive, and productive labour relations in the public service that are rooted in international best practices.

Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Mrs. Makhoabane Ledimo,

Mrs. Ledimo underscored the need to harmonize labour relations within the public service to promote labour relations stability, productivity, and effective service delivery. “Our journey toward public service reform must be underpinned by a firm commitment to dialogue and social justice,” she noted.

Speaking on behalf of the ILO, Mr. Limpho Mandoro, Senior Specialist on Social Dialogue and Labour Administration,

Welcomed this development as a bold and progressive move by the Government of Lesotho. He commended the inclusive and participatory approach undertaken by Lesotho in this reform process, highlighting the importance of enjoyment of freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and effective mechanisms for dispute prevention and resolution as foundational blocks for decent work in the public service.

Through this workshop, Lesotho has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening labour rights and enhancing institutional frameworks for effective governance. The ILO stands ready to continue supporting Lesotho in implementing these reforms and ensuring they contribute to sustainable development, decent work, and social justice for all.

The Workshop was followed by a Workshop on the Validation of the Constitution of the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council on 28 and 29 April 2025. Once registered by the Registrar of Trade Unions, Employers’ Organisations and Bargaining Councils, the Council will be a structure for social dialogue, collective bargaining and dispute prevention and resolution in the public service as provided for in the Labour Act 2024.

The objective of the Workshop was therefore to discuss and adopt the constitution of the Council which will provide a framework for its operations, as well as submitting it to the Registrar in order to comply with registration requirements.

Once the Council is registered, it will usher in a new era of labour relations in the public service in Lesotho in which terms and conditions of employment for public officers will be determined through negotiations as opposed to unilateral action by the Government as an employer.