President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Wednesday, released a statement on the occasion of International Labour Day urging the youth to take responsibility for their lives by earning an income.
Highlighting the number of youths who remain unemployed due to inability to secure specific jobs, President Solih asserted that no particular profession should be considered low standard. He explained that working to earn a decent income was both an individual and social responsibility.
Furthermore, the president stressed the need to introduce a minimum wage to increase employment opportunities for local workers. He expressed hopes that ongoing efforts to implement the policy would come to fruition when the 19th Parliament commenced its term.
President Solih also highlighted challenges faced by workers stating that politically motivated dismissals, demotions, and transfers were the main difficulties faced during recent years. He assured that the government was working to resolve such cases.
According to the president, more than 300 employment-related cases were presented to the Employment Tribunal in 2018 out of which 90 percent of cases were resolved against employers due to violations of the Employment Act.
He also made note of challenges faced by expatriate workers employed including non-payment of wages, contract violations and inadequate living conditions.
Concluding the statement, the president reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of employees as well as employers and stated that Mayday would be a day of reflection for workers and their efforts that build up the country.
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