Suriname’s National Decent Work Commission hosts stakeholder session on labour market governance and labour rights

Through a series of stakeholder sessions, Suriname’s National Decent Work Commission is using a participatory process for the successful delivery of its third Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP).

The Commission hosted its third stakeholder session on 9 April 2024, focused on Priority 3 of the DWCP: Labour Market Governance and Labour Rights. The event was not only a tripartite session, but also included stakeholders from the Inter-American Development Bank and ILO Project Coordinator Shoblina Chotkan-Somai.

The session had the objective of providing an overview of where the Commission, and Suriname as a whole, are with regards to DWCP implementation progress. It also sought to inform the 35 stakeholders in attendance of their role to support the action plan, as well as to gather inputs to make adjustments.

“It is important for us as the National Decent Work Commission to be critical to ourselves before we can be critical to others. In the past year a lot of steps were taken, but we still have a long way to go. Therefore, to achieve maximum results we cannot do this alone and must do this hand in hand with all the other stakeholders involved,” said Jason Menso, Acting Head of International Affairs at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Youth Affairs.

During the session, the Commission presented the current status of implementation and highlighted that it aims to achieve a 100 per cent realization rate by 2026. The average realization rate to date is currently 22 per cent.

More specifically, the sessions provided an update on the following outcomes under Priority 3. To date, each has realization rates as follows:

Outcome 3.1, which focuses on strengthening national legislation and regulations to comply with international labour standards. This outcome remains a crucial focus for safeguarding employee rights and creating a fair working environment. Its progress has achieved a realization rate of 20 per cent.

Outcome 3.2, which seeks to improve supervisory mechanisms and dispute resolution/ To date, its realization rate is 10 per cent.

Outcome 3.3, which highlights the importance of improving systems for collecting and analyzing labour market data. This outcome shows a strong commitment to obtaining accurate information to support policy decisions. Its current realization rate is 36 per cent.

Discussions also considered important areas of concern regarding the labour market policy and gathered stakeholder feedback on areas for improvements such as enforcement. data collection and migration monitoring to create effective policies. Participants also emphasized the need for a law on working conditions as well as a minimum wage for different categories of work. Other featured topics included barriers for indigenous and tribal peoples as well as policies with regards to gender equality and sexual harassment.

“As an expert in the area of labour law, I'm pleased with the progress made with regards to labour legislation, which is covered in Priority 3 of the DWCP. If it were up to me I would have the labour laws as a priority on the agenda of the Assembly, because to me relevant labour legislation is fundamental if we want to have an effective workforce,” said Glenn Piroe, Deputy Director of the Ministry’s International Affairs Unit and Chair of the DWCP Monitoring Commission.

The next National Decent Work Commission of Suriname will review the status of DWCP Priority 2, which will also coincide with the final presentation of the National Social Protection Strategy.