Seychelles being a small island state, climate change is about our survival as a nation and protecting the livelihood of our people.

The Minister for Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Wallace Cosgrow said this while addressing the 106th session of the International Labour Conference which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

“With great interest I have considered the report of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) director-general on ‘Work in a changing climate: The Green Initiative’ in which insights are given notably in regards to the emerging challenges of climate change, decent work and the opportunities abound from renewable energy sources,” he said.

“I firmly believe that these insights are valuable and should be taken into account when framing our strategies to develop and implement green policies into national employment projects.”

Minister Cosgrow said this is a cause of concern for all of us, adding that in recent years, the government of Seychelles has actively defended this noble cause amongst the international community and this continued engagement has yielded national institutional reforms which have effectively delivered on initiatives to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Seychelles is being represented at the conference by a five-member delegation headed by Minister Cosgrow.

The conference which is ILO’s highest decision-making body, started on June 5 and will run until June 16. It meets annually in June, bringing together the tripartite delegations from ILO’s 187 member states.

Other members of the delegation are the principal secretary for employment Jules Baker, the secretary general of the Seychelles Federation of Workers’ Union Antoine Robinson and representative of the Association of Seychelles’ Employers Felix Charles and the employment department’s senior cooperation officer Melissa Duffets.

Minister Cosgrow said as ministries of labour, today’s global environmental challenge presents the necessity to develop renewable energy businesses and create green jobs.

“Our labour force therefore needs to gradually move towards this green initiative. Re-skilling, training and careers guidance in this area are vital as we should be mindful that new jobs will be created through technology advancement or new industries, while other jobs may be substituted or transformed,” he said.

It is my wish that jobseekers, especially our youths will secure more employment opportunities in these emerging industries. This is the way forward in moving towards the future of work – adopting policies that translate into growth, development and decent jobs, he added.

“I therefore urge for all tripartite constituents to renew their commitment in offering decent jobs with safe working conditions and respect of workers’ rights.”

Minister Cosgrow added that the government of Seychelles through the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation reaffirms its commitment to the workers of Seychelles that it will continue to promote employment for the benefit of our present and future generations.

“The Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation has undertaken many actions and achieved considerable results under its first generation of the Decent Work Country Programme in partnership with ILO,” Minister Cosgrow said.

Seychelles is currently elaborating the second generation of the Decent Work Country Programme. This second programme reiterates our pledge for decent work to the men and women workers of Seychelles and the willingness to address labour market challenges.

Minister Cosgrow added that the ministry together with ILO is currently developing the first National Labour Migration Policy.

I am confident that together, we will be able to holistically enhance our framework and to effectively manage the employment of foreign workers in tandem with employment of local workers, he added.

The ministry has equally launched a first National Occupational Safety and Health Policy to mobilise constituents in enhancing safety and health systems at work that minimise occupational accidents.

“We are confident of the guidance and support which ILO can offer, in the execution of the responsibilities we have taken upon us as the government of Seychelles, in providing a better standard of living for our society through decent employment for our citizens. Therefore, let us renew our commitment to work together, government, employers and workers to attain the goals of humanity as envisioned by the founders of ILO.

Seychelles became a member of the ILO in 1977 and the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation is the focal point for the organisation locally.

Since the enactment of the Employment Act 1995, there has been significant socio-economic development in the country. Hence there was a need to review and modernize the Employment Act, to balance Labour Legislation in line with the national development, labour market trends and international labour standards, thereby ensuring sound industrial relations and ease of doing business. It is in this light that revision has been done to the Employment Act, following which a White Paper has been prepared for the public’s views and comments.  

The White Paper can be downloaded  here or hard copy can be collected at the Ministry’s offices on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

The White paper is welcoming your suggestions or comments. This can be submitted through the Ministry’s official website contact email;

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or

Directed to:

Principal Secretary,

Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development & Business Innovation,

Employment Department,

4^th Floor Independence House Annex Building

PO Box 1097

Victoria

Note that closing date for submission of suggestions and comments is by 4pm on Friday 19^th May 2017.

Alternatively you can participate in one of the consultative meetings to be organized by the Employment Department on Saturday 13^th May on Praslin at the Paradiso cinema and on Mahe Tuesday 16^th and Wednesday 17^th May 2017, at the Independence House Annex building’s 6^th Floor Conference Room. All meetings will be from 10am to midday.

Thank you for your participation.

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Revizyon lo Lalwa Lanplwa 1995

Depi deklarasyon 1995 lo Lalwa Lanplwa, pei in pas atraver devlopman signifikan. Konsekaman, Minister Lanplwa in vwar li neseser pou moderniz e ekilibre sa lalwa pou met li azour avek sa bann devlopman nasyonal pei, pou asir en relasyon endistriyel solid ant anplwayer e anplwaye. I dan sa loptik ki lalwa in ganny revize, e en dokiman ofisyel, ouswa en ‘White Paper’ in ganny prepare pou komanter piblik.

Sa dokiman, ‘White Paper’ I kapab ganny telesarze lo sitweb ouswa en kopi I kapab ganny kolekte kot tou bann lofis Minister lo Mae, Pralen e Ladig. 

Minister pou akey tou sizesyon e komanter. Soumisyon I kapab ganny fer dan sa bann fason swivan:

Par email lo :

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Otreman, komanter/sizesyon i kapab ganny adrese lo ladres swivan :

Principal Secretary,

Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development & Business Innovation,

Employment Department,

4^th Floor Independence House Annex Building

PO Box 1097 

Victoria

Dat limit ki Minister pou aksepte kontribisyon manm piblik, i 4 er apremidi, Vandredi le 19 Me 2017. Otreman, manm piblik i ganny envite pou partisip dan bann rankont piblik Sanmdi 13 Me lo Pralen dan sinema Paradiso, e lo Mae, Mardi 16 e Merkredi 17 Me dan lasal konferans, 6yenm  letaz batiman ‘Independence House Annex’ . Tou rankont pou komans 10er bomaten e pou ale ziska midi.

Minister i  remersi zot pou zot partisipasyon.

13TH MONTH PAY

Members of the public are informed that the new law on 13th month pay will take effect on 31st December 2016. The new law makes provision for a 13^th month pay which is equal to basic salary, which therefore excludes allowances or any other benefits, such as service charge.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a 13th month pay, a worker should have completed one year in employment including probationary period. This means that a worker, who has started employment during the year 2016 and does not have one year in the respective employment, will not be qualified for a 13^th month pay. The worker will only be qualified as of the following year.

Payment date

Employers are required to pay 13^th month pay not later than 31^st March 2017.

Bonus

If an employer is already paying bonus to its employees according to their contract of employment, and if the bonus is more than a 13^th month pay, then the employer may pay first part of the bonus as 13^th month pay. The balance may then be paid as bonus to the employee.

Exceptions

The following workers will not qualify for the 13^th month pay:

-non-Seychellois workers

-participants of Skills Development Programme 

It is important to note that casual workers will not qualify for the 13^th month pay.

Unauthorized absence

If a worker is absent from work without authorization:

-one day’s pay shall be deducted from the 13^th month pay, for the first day of absence

-three days pay shall be deducted from the 13^th month pay, for each of the other days of absence.

Payment by pro-rata

-Workers on overseas training for more than 14 weeks or unpaid leave for more than one month during the corresponding year, will be paid the 13th month pay in proportion to their period of service.

-A worker who is in prison or detained in lawful custody during the corresponding year, shall be eligible for pro-rata payment only.

For more information, please contact the Employment Department on 4297200/ 232/235 or visit us at Independence House Annex, Independence Avenue, Monday to Friday, 9am – 3pm.

To download click here >> Employment (Amendment) Act 2016 (Act 24 of 2016) 

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13ENM MWAN LAPEY

Manm piblik i ganny enformen ki nouvo lalwa lo 13enm mwan lapey i pran lefe le 31 Desanm 2016.

Sa lalwa i fer provizyon pour en 13enm mwan lapey ki ekivalan en saler debaz, savedir i pa enkli alawens ou lezot benefis, tel ki « service charge. »

Pou kalifye

Pou kalifye pour en 13enm mwan lapey, fodre travayer in konplet 1an travay enkli peryod probasyon. Savedir si en travayer in konmans travay pandan lannen 2016 e napa 1an dan lanplwa, i pa pou kalifye pour ganny 13enm mwan lapey. I pou selman kalifye lannen swivan.

Dat peyman

Anplwayer pour bezwen pey 13enm mwan lapey pa pli tar ki le 31 Mars 2017.

Bonus

Si en anplwayer ki deza pe pey bonus zot travayer dapre zot kontra travay, e si sa bonus i plis ki en 13enm mwan lapey, sa anplwayer i kapab pey premye parti sa bonus konman 13enm mwan lapey. La diferans I devret apre ganny peye konman bonus.

Eksepsyon 

Travayer ki pa pour kalifye pour ganny 13enm mwan lapey i konm swivan :

-travayer etranze

-partisipan ki progranm « Skills Development Programme »

I enportan pour note ki travayer zournalye (casual workers) pa kalifye pour ganny 13enm mwan lapey.

Absan san lotorizasyon

Si en travayer I absan travay san lotorizasyon:

-en zour lapey pour tire lo 13enm mwan lapey, pour sa premye zour absan

-trwa zour lapey pour tire pour larestan sak zour absan.

Peyman an proporsyon

Travayer ki’n lo formasyon a letranze pour plis ki 14 semenn oubyen lo konze san lapey, pour plis ki 1 mwan pandan lannen, pour ganny peye 13enm mwan lapey an proporsyon peryod ki zot ti dan lanplwa. 

En travayer ki dan prizon ou an detansyon pandan lannen, i devret ganny peye 13enm mwan lapey an proporsyon.

Pour plis lenformasyon, silvouple kontakte Departman Lanplwa lo nimero telefonn 4297200/ 232/235 oubyen vizit nou biro batiman Independence House Annex, Independence Avenue, Lendi a Vandredi, 9er bomaten – 3er apremidi.

Pou download click isi >> Employment (Amendment) Act 2016 (Act 24 of 2016) 

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Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development hosts second Human Resource Forum for the year of 2016

“The growth of every workforce depends on its Human Resource- develop it.”

The Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development hosted its second Human Resource Forum for the year on Thursday 18^th August 2016 at the STC Board Room. The Human Resources Forum is a platform for consultation, and the sharing of knowledge and best practices between Human Resource Managers and Directors from the private sector as a means of strengthening the partnership between the Ministry and the Private sector. 

The session was chaired by Principal Secretary Ms Veronique Bresson.

The programme of the day included three main presentations. The first one was about the Policy on Recognition of Prior Learning by Mr. Hubert Barbe, Director Seychelles Institute of Technology and Ms Joan Amade, Quality Assurance Officer of Seychelles Qualifications Authority from the Ministry of Education. The Policy was brought to the Forum as a means of consultation with the private sector to get their input in view that it is them who will be implementing it.

Mr. Barbe explained to the members of the forum what the RPL policy involves, the countries worldwide that have adopted this policy, when the manual was developed in Seychelles, what stage the policy is at and the activities the SQA has undertaken with regards to the policy. This also opened up an avenue for the members to clarify the ways in which this policy affects their organizations.

As the second presentation, the Principal Secretary Mr. Patrick Payet of the Ministry of Finance Trade and Blue Economy, presented the New Progressive Income Tax. This presentation was on the request of members of the Forum and it also served as a means of disseminating the information on the New Progressive Income Tax proposal in that it affected every organization represented in the Forum; members had deliberations as to how the New Progressive Income Tax would apply to them and their organizations. The PS circulated a document which displayed the categories and their tax calculations.

The Validation of the Evaluation of the Human Resource Forum was the third presentation. This Forum was established in 2012, there was necessity to conduct an evaluation for the 2012 to 2014 of which members and stakeholders were consulted. The validation was presented by Ms Rubya Pillay Senior Research Officer MLHRD.

Finally Ms Vanessa Dugasse, Acting Director of Labour Migration MLHRD, presented the revised Quota System which was put in circulation in August 2016. This presentation was brought to the Forum as a means of sensitizing the Human Resource Managers and Directors of the additions and exclusion made to the previous quota system. This was also an opportunity that they had to discuss these changes.

The rest of the meeting was spent in open discussion where members got the opportunity to raise various issues that they required clarification on from the Ministry or get the opinion of their colleagues. The next Forum is scheduled to take place in November 2016.

Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development

Press Release

Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Idith Alexander attends the 105^th session of the International Labour Conference, Geneva

Thursday 9^th June 2016

A tripartite delegation from Seychelles headed by the Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Idith Alexander is attending the 105^th session of the International Labour Conference, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland from 30^th May to 11^th June 2016.

Minister Alexander delivered her speech to the Conference on Wednesday 8^th June 2016, which was in relation to the report of the Director General of the ILO, Mr Guy Ryder entitled “The End to Poverty Initiative – The ILO and the 2030 Agenda.”

In her intervention, Minister Alexander stated that living in poverty in Seychelles is not an option as the Government continuously places its people at the heart of development and it remains committed to uphold their standard of living “We are indeed a country where our people benefit from free education, free health care, generous social welfare programmes, guaranteed pension and low unemployment rate. We have since last year been ranked as a high income country by the World Bank. For those considered as vulnerable, the Government consults and listens to their concerns. Recently, the national minimum wage was increased by 25%, a mandatory thirteenth month pay will soon be regulated by law, a new wage subsidy programme is being implemented for the youths and a revised skills development programme was launched,” explained Minister Alexander.

Minister Alexander advised that ending poverty should be a shared responsibility of all actors involved in the economy and in this regard recommended for public and private partnerships. She also encouraged countries to conduct national dialogues on the “Future of work”, of which Seychelles was the first to implement in the region. Finally, the Minister called on the technical support of the ILO for better understanding of poverty: “in-depth research is required to effectively tackle poverty given the transformations in today’s world of work. Poverty is mainly known to occur as a result of war or political instability. But nowadays, it can also be a result of discouraged jobseekers and people’s unwillingness to use available opportunities,” explained the Minister.

Minister Alexander also met with the Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training of Mauritius, Mr Soodesh Satkam.CALLICHURN and the Minister for Manpower of Singapore Mr Swee Say LIM, where they discussed potential areas of future technical cooperation. A meeting was equally held with the ILO Regional Director for Africa, Mr Aenaes Chapinga Chuma, in regards to the recommendations of the national conference on “Future of work” organized by Seychelles in April this year.

Minister Alexander is being accompanied to the ILO Conference by Ms Veronique Bresson, Principal Secretary for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Susan Morel, Director Policy Planning and Research, Mrs Michelle Labrosse, Executive Secretary of the Federation of the Employer’ Association of Seychelles and Mr Antoine Robinson, Secretary General of the Seychelles Federation of Workers’ Union.

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Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development
Press Release
Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Idith Alexander attends the 104th session of the International Labour Conference, Geneva
Tuesday 9th June 2015

The Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Idith Alexander is heading a tripartite delegation from Seychelles at the 104th session of the International Labour Conference, organized by the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland from 1st to 13th June 2015.

Minister Alexander addressed the Conference on Tuesday 9th June 2015, and focused her intervention on the report of the Director General of the ILO, Mr Guy Ryder entitled “The future of work centenary initiatives” and also on the main items on the agenda: “Facilitating transition from the informal to the formal economy” and “Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and decent and productive employment creation.”

Accordingly Minister Alexander stated that Seychelles as a small island developing state is also concerned with the future of work. “In appreciating our achievements, we are also mindful of our vulnerabilities. The persisting global challenges such as climate change on our shores, on our workers and businesses affirm that the labour market does not operate in isolation. Today climate change is not only about reducing environmental impact on society but it is also about protecting jobs, promoting renewable energy businesses and preserving the quality of life of a nation. The Government of Seychelles therefore remains active in the international community and we remain committed in creating new jobs namely through the diversification of our economy, particularly by the concept of the Blue Economy,” explained Minister Alexander.

Minister Alexander also affirmed that the Government of Seychelles will continue to strive for the formalization of SMEs. “The future of work for Seychelles will greatly depend on the love for our country, the determination of our people, the ambitions of our youth, the responsibility of workers, effective human resource management practices, productivity,entrepreneurship and sustainable businesses that generate decent jobs” explained the Minister.

The Minister also appealed to employers and workers to continue actively working together thereby building the future of work that we are all striving for.
The other members of the Seychelles delegation attending the ILO Conference are Ms Veronique Bresson, Principal Secretary for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Susan Morel, Director Policy Planning and Research, Mrs Michelle Labrosse, Executive Secretary of the Federation of the Employer’ Association of Seychelles and Mr Antoine Robinson, Secretary General of the Seychelles Federation of Workers’ Union.

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Download Speech Here

“Effective Human Resource Management is necessary for any business or organisation, as it concerns their most valuable resource – their people.”

The Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development held its final Human Resource Forum for the year on Thursday 20^th November 2014 at the STC Board Room. As a reminder, the Human Resources Forum is a platform for consultation, and the sharing of knowledge and best practices between the attendees.

The session was chaired by Principal Secretary Ms Veronique Bresson.

This latest edition of the Forum began with a presentation on the Employment Assistance Programme (EAP) by Ms. Yvana Theresine, Director of Drug and Alcohol Council. Ms Theresine took the opportunity to remind the attendees of the reasons the programme had been set up, such as employees struggling with problems like drugs and alcohol being unwilling to pursue treatment openly for fear of stigmatisation. She also emphasised that, while the EAP evolved out of the desire to help substance abuse victims, this is not the only area in which it can help. It can also render assistance in area such as legal advice, or various health and safety issues. The programme includes mechanisms for providing counselling, referrals, and other forms of assistance, advice, and information to employees on a systematic and uniform basis.

“The government wants the EAP to provide employees with a safe workplace,” Ms Theresine said.

She also stressed that adoption of the EAP is not mandatory and that many organisations already have their own employee assistance schemes in place that are working quite well. Ms Theresine extended an invitation to such organisations to share ideas with the people behind the EAP with the aim of making it a more efficient machine.

The second and final presentation of the day was by Ms. Susan Morel, Director of Planning and Policy Research at the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development. Ms Morel discussed the issue of fair salaries and the step the Ministry of Labour is taking to ensure fair treatment for all employees.

The rest of the meeting was spent in open discussion on various issues the members wished to express. The next Forum is scheduled to take place in three months.

On Tuesday 21^st October 2014, Ms Veronique Bresson, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development met with Ms. Nombana Razafinisoa, a programme officer with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Ms. Razafinisoa was on an official mission in the country as part of Seychelles’ decent work country programme (DWCP) and was here to plan activities within the implementation of the DWCP for the 2014-2015 part of the programme. She also used the occasion to discuss with the Minister of Labour and Human Resource Development, as well as with social partners, on the implementation of the DWCP and other ILO technical cooperation activities in Seychelles.

The Decent Work Country Programme itself is a mechanism through which the ILO supports the efforts of tripartite constituents to find effective and long-lasting solutions to commonly identified challenges in socio economic development.

The development plans of Seychelles have always been a challenge for employment and supply of labour imposed by demographic conditions of our country. Nonetheless, quality employment and unemployment marginalisation is however well within our reach. The Government is set to attain this important milestone in the remaining years of our nation’s development.

It is for this reason that the Government has welcomed the Decent Work Country Programme initiative as it will facilitates the preparation of a coherent and focused programme that promotes decent work throughout the economy. It also consolidates labour and employment achievements to which the ILO has been an indispensable contributor.

During the meeting, Ms. Bresson gave Ms. Razafinisoa of the nation’s progress and achievements under the programme, giving the example of the new National Employment Policy launched in April 2014. Ms. Razafinisoa said she was impressed with Seychelles’ progress in the programme so far. The programme itself began in 2011 and will run until 2015. Ms. Razafinisoa said that the idea is that the following year will be focused on seeing how Seychelles can better accomplish the goals of the DWCP.

Ms. Bresson said that the Minister was thankful to the ILO for helping get Seychelles this far.

Among the issues discussed in the meeting was the matter of statistics gathering, which, she confessed, is still a challenge in Seychelles, but that, again, under the programme, the ILO approved a mission only last month to help prepare action plans to provide technical assistance in the Labour Market Information System. The ILO is also assisting the Ministry in conducting the Productivity Study, Youth Employment Study, a review of the Occupational Safety and Health Decree and Policy, and review of the HIV/AIDS workplace policy.

“The public expects action,” Ms. Bresson said. “And the Ministry is eager to deliver on the challenge. Employment continues to evolve and we need to keep up with what is happening in the world.”

This meeting was followed by another on Thursday 23^rd October wherein Ms. Razafinisoa reiterated the objective of her mission as an opportunity for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office to discuss and plan with the tripartite constituents the projects that the country requires over this biennium (2014-2015) for the effective implementation of Seychelles’ DWCP.

It was noted that Seychelles remains at the forefront in the implementation of the DWCP in comparison to its counterparts in the Indian Ocean and is among the top three countries in Africa. In view that the programme is sustained by both the political will and commitment of the applicable partners. The team in Seychelles is also proactive and maintains a strong collaboration with the ILO Country Office based in Antananarivo, Madagascar. In this regard, the Antananarivo office considered the possibility of organising a workshop in order to facilitate an exchange of best practices among the countries under its purview.

As the end of the year approaches, the Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development, Ms Idith Alexander’s tour of private sector businesses and institutions has been going well. On Friday 17^th October, she conducted her 26^th visit of the year which was to the International School Seychelles.

The Minister, accompanied by officials from her Ministry was greeted by the Principal of the School, Mr Karl Wilkinson and Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Mrs Laura Valabhji. The Ministerial delegation was taken on a tour of the school, during which they were introduced to various members of the staff and student body.

The visit covered all forms, from kindergarten to Sixth Form. At each of the locations visited, the Minister interacted with staff members, most of whom expressed satisfaction with their present conditions.

At the end of the visit, a meeting was held between members of the International School staff and the Minister’s delegation. The main issue discussed were contracts of employment and remuneration packages. Mrs Valabhji assured the Minister that the school has already laid out a new salary structure, which will entail different grades of pay based on various factors such as prior work experience, education level, etc.

According to Mrs Valabhji, this new structure will be communicated to the staff shortly. This was well-received by the Minister, who emphasised that communication is an important factor within workplaces.

As with previous visits on her tour, the Minister brought to Mr. Wilkinson’s and Mrs. Valabhji’s attention the scholarship financing programme that the Ministry of Labour is working on in union with ANHRD. Mr. Wilkinson and Mrs. Valabhji expressed intrigue with the idea.

The Minister re-emphasised her desire for increased co-operation between the government and the private sector and the meeting closed with her assurance to Mrs. Valabhji, Mr Wilkinson, and the staff of her Ministry’s support and assistance.

Mrs. Valabhji, Mr. Wilkinson, and the teachers in attendance expressed their sincere gratitude for the Minister’s time and attention on these matters and voiced their interest in closer ties with the Ministry of Labour.

On Thursday 25^th September 2014, the Ministry for Labour and Human Resource Development hosted the awards for the Best Safe Workplace.

These awards are the first in a planned series and serve to cap off this year’s edition of Safety Week. The purpose of the award is to promote good occupational safety and health practices at the workplace. The objectives are to sensitise employers and employees on the importance of managing occupational safety and health at work; to develop a culture of safety to change the attitudes and beliefs of the workforce; and to promote safety awareness in order to achieve healthier and safer working environments.

“This evening is testimony of my Ministry’s commitment towards protecting workers’ safety and health at work,” Minister Idith Alexander said. “The Award was developed with its main objective of encouraging organizations to establish effective system for managing occupational safety and health and to inculcate this aspect of safety culture in the daily duties of workers and employers.

It is also an occasion to reward organizations who are excelling in the area of occupational safety and health, in order to promote and sustain good safe practices for the future.”

A total of 21 organisations from various key sections of the economy participated in the awards.

The big winner of the night was SEYPEC. CEO Mr. Conrad Benoiton was there to collect the award.

The minister concluded her speech with appeal to other organisations to join in the endeavour in time for the next award ceremony in 2016.