As the world marks Labour Day, employers and organisations across the world have been seen to post messages of goodwill to workers across the world. However, beyond the messages, they should probably take time to listen to challenges their employees are facing. For instance, workers across the country have cited key challenges that are affecting their quality of life such as prices of basic goods such as food continue increasing. This has seen workers continuously overwhelmed by inadequate means to provide for their families, paying for their healthcare bill and school fees among other needs. This is one of many pressing issues that are affecting the labour market and employees that has been exposed as the World marks Labour Day 2022 on May 1, with a view to promote workers’ rights. Prices of some commodities have gone up considerably, for example, cooking oil whose cost has doubled from Rwf1,500 in 2020 to Rwf3,000 currently, and that of sugar from Rwf1,000 to Rwf2,000 in the same period. Even vegetable prices have been on the rise. Other products whose costs have soared include bread, cooking gas, charcoal, and soap. As part of a solution to the problem, labour unions have suggested that the Government, the Private Sector Federation (PSF) and workers’ unions, should put in place a regular dialogue platform for workers’ timely salary adjustment in order to tackle the commodity prices on the market. The current absence of a minimum wage has an adverse impact on salaries of many employees who do not have the bargaining power with their employers in terms of remuneration. Minimum wage is the minimum amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay wage earners for the work performed during a given period, which cannot be reduced by collective agreement or individual contract, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Lack of a fair minimum wage has an impact on the smallest possible pension benefits for the retirees as provided for by the Law governing the organisation of pension schemes that was enacted in 2015.
