Monrovia, Liberia – Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon has formally written the Liberian Senate seeking the body’s endorsement to cite Labor Minister Cllr. Cooper Krauh to explain ongoing concerns about the issuance of work permits to non-Liberians.
In his communication to the Senate, Dillon raised alarms over what he described as violations of existing labor regulations that prioritize Liberian workers in both skilled and unskilled positions.
According to Dillon, the Decent Work Act, specifically Chapter 7, Section 7.1 and Chapter 45, Section 45.9, grants the Ministry of Labor the authority to issue work permits to foreigners. However, under the Revised Regulation No. 17 (2019), which outlines the legal framework for work permits, there are strict conditions that should limit the employment of non-Africans in the informal sector and ensure that certain jobs remain exclusively for Liberians.
The regulation also mandates employers to prove they cannot find a suitable Liberian for a job before applying for a foreigner’s work permit. This includes publishing job vacancies in at least two local newspapers and two radio stations for a month and obtaining a certificate from the Ministry as proof of the non-availability of a Liberian candidate.
Despite these measures, Senator Dillon voiced his concerns that the Ministry of Labor has continued to issue and renew work permits for foreign nationals, even for jobs where Liberians are both qualified and available.
He stressed that these actions are contrary to the intent of the Decent Work Act and contribute to rising unemployment in the country, particularly in the private sector.
“Year in and year out, the Ministry of Labor has been issuing work permits to non-Liberians for jobs where Liberians are suitable and readily available. This undermines our efforts to address unemployment and improve local employment rates,” Dillon said in his communication.
Senator Dillon urged his colleagues to take the issue seriously, stressing that the Ministry of Labor’s actions are detrimental to the country’s labor market. He called on the Senate to endorse his request to summon the Minister of Labor to clarify the Ministry’s practices and take corrective measures that align with the Decent Work Act.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor on Monday October 21, 2024 announced the suspension of the issuance of Work permit for aliens and foreigners.
However, the communication from Senator Darius Dillon has been sent to the Senate’s Committee on Labor.
