WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The district official in charge of labour has deplored employers who deduct female staffs’ salaries during maternity leave.

Celestin Pierre Tegera said during a workshop at Gisenyi Cultural Center that, "It has been a common practice by many employers to reduce salaries of women employees in maternity leave by a third. This is not fair because in any case that’s when they need a lot of support and money due to their conditions and to meet medical bills."

The two-day workshop was organized by Profemme Twese Hamwe in partnership with the ministry of Gender and Family Promotion. It was meant to educate employers and employees on international labour laws. It was also meant to educate women employees about various government services aimed at delivering women out of poverty.

Tegera observed that there were many injustices subjected to women workers by their bosses including, sexual harassments, deduction of their salaries during maternity leaves as well as denial of employment to pregnant mothers.

"Women workers are currently subjected to various forms of injustice. Most pregnant mothers have been denied jobs by employers even when they have the best qualification; on the excuse that expectant mothers would not perform as their opposite male counterparts due to pregnancy," he said.

He added, "This is very wrong because it is natural that women should have babies. There is no crime in being pregnant and employees should not suffer because of their nature."

He said district labour officials would work together with Profemme Twese Hamwe, and the Gender Ministry to protect rights of women workers through stepped up campaign countrywide.

Tegera underlined the importance of workshops on international labour laws in addressing the problem of women workers.

Florence Kabatesi, one of the participants urged her fellow female employees to report such cases especially sexual harassments by their male employers.

"Some times women remain silent on such injustices to protect their jobs; but that’s unethical because one can end up getting more complicated problems such as STDs," she said.

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