By Musa Aiahson Koroma
The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security intensified its enforcement campaign on June 25, 2026, when the Labour Commissioner and senior officials carried out direct inspections in Bo and Kenema. The exercise reinforced the Ministry’s position that employers must comply with labour laws without compromise.
The inspection team began at Splash Purified Water Company in Bo. Officials identified breaches in workplace safety and labour practices. The Commissioner reminded management that producing drinking water requires strict standards, stressing that “water is life” and consumers depend on safe products. Inspectors ordered the company to submit all employment contracts to the Regional Labour Office for review under the Employment Act 2023. They also discovered that the firm had failed to implement the new national minimum wage of Le1,200. An Improvement Notice gave management seven days to correct wages and address safety concerns.
The team continued to First Tricon Limited, a construction and civil engineering firm along the Bo‑Kenema Highway. Inspectors directed management to submit contracts for vetting, apply the minimum wage, register with the Occupational Safety and Health Department, comply with NASSIT requirements, and regularize the work permit status of foreign employees in line with the Work Permit Act 2023.
The enforcement drive moved next to Kenema, where Dorwaila Hotel and Hill Top Hotel were inspected. Addressing managers, the Commissioner explained the Ministry’s new approach: “We are no longer waiting in offices for complaints. We are taking enforcement directly to workplaces, engaging employers, identifying violations, and ensuring the law is upheld.”
The inspections in Bo and Kenema demonstrated a shift from reactive responses to proactive monitoring. The Ministry’s strategy makes clear that labour rights and workplace safety will be defended across Sierra Leone, and employers who ignore the law will face consequences.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 29th June 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
