The Secretariat of State for Professional Training and Employment Policy (SoSPTEP) organized on April 30, in Delta Nova, a seminar in order to celebrate the Labour Day which is celebrated on May 1st. This year’s seminar was entitled ” May 1st 1 dignifies the workers that are the key to national development in Timor-Leste”.

The seminar had three main objectives: a reflection on the part of the government and all institutions, through a tripartite coordination, on reducing unemployment in Timor-Leste; oversight and promoting health, safety and hygiene at work; and accident prevention in the workplace.

The Secretary of State for Policy and Training and Employment, Ilídio Ximenes da Costa, asked everyone, especially workers and employers, to see Labour Day as a reference and comply with what is stated in the Labour Law.

“I urge all employers and employees, to respect each other and respect the law, giving decent conditions for their workers, as expected, so that they might develop the country and improve its future,” said Ilídio Ximenes da Costa.

The Secretary of State also stressed that the attribution of the work should be preceded by training recalling that the private sector, the agriculture and the tourism opens many opportunities for work and not just the government.

In this ceremony were also present, among others, representatives of the Confederation of Unions of Timor-Leste and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste.

The President of the Confederation of Unions of Timor-Leste (CSTL), Agostinho Smith, said that this year’s 13th celebration of Labour Day reflects the reality of the lives of workers in Timor-Leste, focusing on the theme “Decent Work, sustainable development and dignified State. “

Agostinho Soares said that this issue is twofold: the dignity of the worker and job creation.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste (CCI-TL), Julio Alfaro, considered necessary that the process of development of the private sector goes through the training of national labour power in order to increase the productivity of businesses and multiply working posts with a well paid salary.

“To promote the development of the domestic private sector there are three priority areas: skilled labour, management and entrepreneurship,” Julio Alfaro reasons.

The President of the CCI-TL further proposed a partnership with the Government to perform a diagnosis of the national socio-economic reality and set a foundation for implementing a system of geographic-economic mapping in the interior of the territory.

“Allowing in this sense, to sensitize and guide public and private investments during the process of promotion and sustainable socio-economic development in order to create opportunities for the implementation of new business and qualified jobs in the domestic private sector giving an impulse to development ” stated Julio Alfaro.