Mini- Surveys in the factories of Lesotho

In order to raise awareness on the realization of socio-economic rights and their delivery in Lesotho the Human Rights Desk will hold a mini survey in the factories of Lesotho

The objective of the survey is to:

• To establish the working conditions in the garment factories of Lesotho .

• To establish the challenges and opportunities for improving the conditions faced by the garment factories workers.

• To establish whether the Factories abide by the International Minimum standards of conditions of employment.

• To establish the challenges that the Factory owners experience as far as the working conditions are concerned.

• To make recommendations on the way forward and how the conditions can be improved.

In Lesotho , the garment factories sector is one of the informal sectors creating more employment for the Basotho, with about 8000 females and 6000 males employed. However, this sector has experienced serious work-related human rights challenges and a also a progressive deterioration. Some workers who have been working for a long time are still regarded as a “casual” workers. What this means in practice is that they have no job security. Most factory workers have not gone on maternity leave even when they are due for delivery. Garment factory workers are sometimes forced to work overtime without or with an inconsistent salary.

However, although the constitution and labour law expressly prohibit such practices, there have been reports of factory employers not observing the minimum standards on conditions on employment. These working conditions have been labeled to be “miserable working conditions and meagre wages”. Workers associations and trade unions have tried but to no avail to improve conditions in the factories. The Trade Union for factor workers petitioned parliament to amend the Labour Code passed in 1992 to include worker-friendly laws governing maternity leave, contributory burial schemes and force factory owners to pay reasonable wages. They also wanted to push for factory workers to earn a monthly wage of M1 500 a month, up from the M650 that the lowest paid worker earns in the factories. Media reports (Lesotho Times 2009) have also shown that female factory workers were given only two weeks for maternity leave. This is grossly unfair compared to civil servants' who get six weeks maternity leave. Moreover the Workmen's Compensation Act of 1977 does not cover factory workers. “The Act says that only injured employees would be compensated. But factory workers inhale dangerous chemicals almost every day and are not entitled to compensation.” it is because of the abovementioned salient challenges that Human rights programme will undertake a mini-survey which is intended to improving the working conditions in the garment factories.