MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY HOSTS INAUGURAL EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR SECTOR ADVISORY GROUP MEETING

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security convened the 1st Employment and Labour Sector Advisory Group (EL-SAG) meeting. The meeting which was held in the Ministry’s conference room on 16th September 2008 was attended by a number of the EL-SAG members that included the International Labour Organization (ILO) country representative for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique Mr. Gerry Finnegan, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission Mr.Josiah Ogina, Zambia Federation of Employers, and Representatives from government Ministries.

Opening the meeting, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Mr. Ngosa Chisupa, who is also the EL-SAG Chairperson, said he was delighted that this important meeting had finally taken place. “The EL-SAG is a group of key stakeholders from the employment and labour sector charged with responsibility to advise on policy and implementation of issues in the sector”, he said. Mr. Chisupa added that whilst EL-SAG was having its inaugural meeting, its sub-committees had been very active and held number of meeting in the past one year. These sub-committees have included the following: Child Labour, Labour Market Information, Social Security, and others.

The meeting’s deliberations focused on the following issues:-

 Brief overview of Employment and Labour Sector of FNDP/discussion on the terms of reference for the EL-SAG (given by the Chief Planner – Mr. Owen Mgemezulu)

 A brief on the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), given by Mr. Gerry Finnegan – ILO Area Director.

 Consideration of the membership of the EL-SAG.