Maseru, Oct. 14–Prime Minister (PM), Mr. Samuel Matekane said the Government of Lesotho ratified the Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize Convention 1948 (No.87) as well as the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention 1949 (NO.98) in October, 1966, however, Public Officers did not enjoy these rights.
He said this during a high level sensitisation workshop on the implementation of Convention 151 on Monday, held for Government Secretary, Principal Secretaries and the Cabinet.
He confessed that the Government of Lesotho took time to appreciate the Convention.
‘’The time the Lesotho Government took to ratify this Convention was not because it did not want to, rather, it was skeptical about its appetite to implement it given the nature and the size of the Public Service’’, said the PM.
He expressed gratitude to the International Labour Organization for patiently walking the long journey towards ratification of Convention 151 with the government, adding that a key milestone was achieved when this journey came to fruition in March, 2023 upon ratification of the Convention..
