In his capacity as Acting Prime Minister, Mr Selibe Mochoboroane, has promised the workers that new jobs will be created in the textile industry soon.

Whe addressing the Workers Unions on Workers Day at Morija in Maseru on Wednesday, he disclosed that the Prime Minister, Mr Ntsokoane Sam Matekane, had sent a delegation to China looking for new investors and that the trip has been successful.

He assured the workers that their concerns of being asked to pay M100 when going for health services at their workplaces will be addressed.

Mr Mochoboroane who is also a Minister of Health said Medical Council will investigate reports of private doctors who do not compensate workers who sustained injuries at workplaces, which will lead to appropriate actions to be taken.

He said the Ministry of Employment and Labour has made regulations regarding compensation of workers who sustain injuries at workplaces.

He said those regulations stipulate clearly that a worker who sustained injuries while at work should get not less than M6000 in compensation, saying it was wrong if there are doctors who say such workers should not be compensated.

Speaking at the same event, the Minister of Employment and Labour Mr Tseliso Mokhosi said the Social Security draft Bill is still going through necessary structures of the government and that it would be brought into the parliament to be enacted into an Act of parliament soon.

He said once it has been enacted it would pave the way for better things to come for the textile workers.

He added that it would address issues of maternity leave for the textile workers in order for pregnant women to be treated like public servants.

He highlighted that the Occupational and Safety Act of 2024 allows workers to sit down with their employers to negotiate better working conditions and better pay.

“Government is concerned about textile workers who are losing jobs due to shutting down of some factories in Maseru and Maputsoe”, he said, adding that they are not folding their arms but are doing something about it.

On the other hand, Mr Teboho Tolo of Lesotho Federation of Trade Unions, expressed concern about the delay in introducing the Social Security law, saying its aim is to address some of the workers concerns.

He cited as an example expecting mothers, saying the Social Security law would enable the workers to get pensions as well as their newly born babes to get allowances for at least 12 months.

Different trade unions workers, clad in their colourful attire sang, danced and ululated on the 1st of May Day which is commemorated globally as Workers/Labour Day.