New ILO Director of Country Office on first mission to Seychelles |18 December 2023
The ILO team in one of their meetings with other partners
The Minister for Employment & Social Affairs, Patricia Francourt, last week received the new Country Office Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles, Frederick Muia, on his first official mission to the country.
The minister thanked the ILO for all the support it had provided the Employment department over the years, particularly towards the Skills Development Programme and the Seychelles Decent Work Country Programme.
She also appealed for technical backing to assist Seychelles formulate a pension scheme for migrant workers.
Other pertinent issues discussed were safety in the aftermath of the explosion in Seychelles last week, potential effects on the labour market that will ensue and the country’s lack of adequate expertise to undertake certain specific activities.
On behalf of the ILO, Mr Muia applauded the ministry’s swift response to the organisation’s enquiries and noted they are looking at ways to support the pension scheme initiative for migrant workers which he described as a “vulnerable group”.
Also present at the meeting was the principal secretary of the Employment department, Veronique Bresson; director general for Labour Migration, Tara Dialo; chief policy analyst Susan Morel; director general for Employment Promotion, Chetina Saunders; and principal planning officer, Mario Dupres. Discussions with the minister and her executive team was followed by a technical meeting with directors general and directors from various sections within the ministry.
Given the ILO’s tripartite structure of Government, Employers and Workers, the ILO Country Office director also met with the secretary general of the Seychelles Federation of Workers Union, Antoine Robinson and the chairman of the General Employers Trade Union of Seychelles, Jules Baker, as well as the tripartite Advisory and Monitoring Committee for the Seychelles decent work country programme.
Mr Muia held discussions with Designated Minister Jean-François Ferrari as the ILO advocates for just transition to a green and blue economy, given the various opportunities and challenges that co-exist in these sectors.
With regard to the ongoing pension reform, he met with Seychelles Pension Fund chief executive Nisreen Abdul Majid to discuss social protection of non-Seychellois workers.
A meeting was held with WHO representative for Seychelles, Dr Rex Mpazanje, where discussions centred on vulnerable groups in the health sector and areas of ILO support.
Mr Muia also met the UN coordination officer for Seychelles, Alexander Mancham; the chairman of Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Oliver Bastienne; and the former executive secretary of the Federation of Employer Association of Seychelles, Michelle Labrosse.
