South Sudan’s Council of Ministers has approved a national policy on occupational safety and health, a first-ever policy that seeks to protect a worker’s right to a safe working environment in the country.
Addressing reporters after the cabinet meeting in Juba on Friday, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said the policy will regulate the environment and safety of employees at their workplaces.
“If you are working, your workplace must be a conducive atmosphere, a healthy atmosphere to work that area should be clean, should not be polluted and also there are other diseases which are contracted in the course of employment in some ministries and institutions,” he said.
“All these are provided for in safety in the place of work. For example, the ministry of roads should have a conducive environment for officials or for the employees of the sector who are working there. They ought to be healthy because a healthy mind is in a healthy body, and if you are healthy, you will be able to produce more,” he added.
Makuei, who is also the government spokesman, pointed out that the policy will also cater for liabilities in case of accidents and injuries at the place of work for the employee.
“Also, in terms of safety, in case any accident happens to the employee in the course of his duties, then it is also the duty of that institution to take care of that employee. These are safety precautions that are usually required in any project being implemented,” he said.
“This document is very important because it makes a provision for the creation of a healthy environment for people working in the private or the public sector. Of course, this policy we did not have before, and after thorough deliberation, it was adapted by the cabinet and passed to the next level, that is, to the national assembly for consideration,” he added.
Peace Implementation
On the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, Makuei said the Minister of Cabinet Affairs asked the ministers to expedite the implementation of their responsibilities in the adopted peace roadmap.
“The Minister of Cabinet Affairs on the implementation of the roadmap, he appealed to the ministers and requested them that each ministry should find out in the roadmap where its role is and start implementing that responsibility,” he said.
Subnational violence
When asked about what the transitional government is doing to address violence in Upper Nile, Jonglei and other areas, Makuei said: “These conflicts are not new; they have been coming up now and then.”
“So in this particular situation, the government is trying its level best to ensure that such events are brought to a halt or controlled and that people live and stay together. We are trying our level best to make sure that peace prevails in those areas which are affected by the conflict,” he concluded.