By: Michae N Baryor
The Chair of the Senate Co TVmmittee on Foreign Affairs has called for an investigation into the Ministry of Labor issuance of work permits to non-Liberians.
Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon also asked his colleagues on Tuesday, to probe why the Labor Minister Cllr. Cooper Krauh, has been in violations of existing labor regulations that prioritize Liberian workers in both skilled and unskilled position.
Tuesdays letter, which was signed by Senator Dillon, says 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.
Dillon pointed out that 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 lawmaker says 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,”the senator wrote in the letter.
Dillon claims that the Ministry of Labor continued to issue and renew work permits for foreign nationals, even for jobs where Liberians are both qualified and available.
“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,” the letter said.
According to Dillon, 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”s letter alleges.
