By Esther Sunnah Kaillie
Sierra Leone’s First Lady Fatima Bio on Tuesday marched alongside aggrieved workers of diamond miner Koidu Limited, who were protesting over pay and better working condition.
The protesters held placards and chanted slogans calling for fair treatment in terms of working environment and better healthcare, among other demands.
Koidu Limited, believed to be the largest diamond miner in the country, operates a 4.9 square kilometer Kimberlite Project in the eastern diamond rich Kono District.
Despite the millions of US Dollars it contributes to the country’s economy through its rich mineral reserve, the district remains one of the poorest in the country. And the people of Kono have for decades decried this lack of development, which has sparked several protests, some deadly, in the past.
The Bio administration has been negotiating between aggrieved workers and the management of the company in the past few months, according to sources. Reports suggest that Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh had been leading the government’s negotiation efforts, which apparently yielded no positive results.
Mrs Bio, herself a native of Kono, said she was asked by her husband to assume the role of negotiator.
On Tuesday, she told the protesters that her efforts at negotiating was sabotaged by unnamed people in her husband’s administration.
The protesters had shown up at her residence along DO Baracks in Koidu, where she addressed them before joining them on the march through the streets of the city.
Although she didn’t mention specific individuals, the First Lady was critical of Chief Minister David Sengeh, who she disclosed was copied in a letter the company wrote, informing her of their decision to discontinue negotiation with her, after initially indicating willingness to meet the workers’ demands.
Key among the demands of the aggrieved workers is official recognition of their union by the company. They also want to be paid living allowances, as well as a 30% salary increment. The miners also want to be paid compensation for overtime, the provision of incentives and access to safe drinking water.
“Our collective action aimed to urge Koidu Limited to enhance working conditions and provide better services for all employees,” the First Lady wrote on her verified facebook page after the march.
“This protest is a call to action for the company to improve the working conditions and provide better services. We believe that these demands are reasonable and essential for maintaining the well-being and dignity of workers,” she added, vowing to continue fighting until the workers’ demands are met with favourable response.
