Politics

Moroccan government set to increase workers’ wages, social benefits

Published

1 year ago

May 1, 2022

The Moroccan government is currently negotiating an increase in workers wages and social benefits with three different unions, as well as the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM), in commemoration of the Workers’ day on May 1.

The negotiations over wages and family benefits have been heating up between the government, with threats of strike actions which had forced the hands of the authorities to engage the organised labour with the hopes of reaching a new agreement before Labor Day.

The government’s proposal which includes two significant changes in favor of employees and those with children, sees a first 10% rise in the minimum wage, which would be phased over two years, with 5% from September 2022, followed by a further 5% increase a year later.

The second key change, according to the set out terms, would be an increase in family allowances for families with more than three children, from 36 dirhams to 100 dirhams.

This policy also comes in addition to social benefits payments currently fixed at 300 dirhams per month for each of the first three children.

To promote public-private sector equality, the government also plans to boost the minimum wage in the civil service by 16%, from MAD 3,000 ($299) to MAD 3,500 ($349) per month.

But minimum wage employees in the government sector, however, are becoming increasingly rare following adjustments to civil service salary scale with salaries for workers on scales 5 and 6 which is in the lowest rungs, account for only 13.41% of overall personnel expenditures.

Related Topics:Featured Minimum wage Morocco Social Benefits

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Politics

Opposition party wins majority seats in Guinea Bissau’s parliament

Published

16 hours ago

June 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

After a thirteen months break in Guinea-Bissau’s parliament, the opposition coalition has won majority seats after the legislative elections held on Sunday.

Over 20 political parties and coalitions, including the former ruling PAIGC party and its rival MADEM G15, presented candidates for various constituencies across the country.

According to official results, the PAI Terra Ranka coalition, led by the former ruling PAIGC party, won 54 of 102 seats in Sunday’s poll, while the ruling Madem G15, won 28 seats.

The development alters the planned constitutional reforms of President Embalo which would have allowed him to consolidate power by ridding the country of its semi-presidential system.

Under the current political system, the majority party or coalition appoints the government but the president has the authority to dismiss it in certain circumstances, a situation that has led to political gridlock and infighting in the past.

The political stability of the country has been consistently threatened by military incursions with successful and failed coup attempts. The latest was in February 2022 when gunmen stormed a government compound where President Embalo was holding a cabinet meeting, in an attempt to stage a coup.

Politics

Algeria, Sierra Leone get non-permanent seat at UN Security Council

Published

3 days ago

June 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Algeria and Sierra Leone, have been elected as non-permanent members of the the United Nations’ Security Council for 2024-2025.

The two countries are part of the ten countries elected for two years in the Council outside the five power bloc countries— the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom.

The countries replace Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates and will join Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland who were elected last year.

For Sierra Leone, it’s a return to the council after 53 years. Its Foreign Minister, David Francis said it was “a great day for this small, progressive and confident country…which has successfully transitioned from war to peace.”

Guyana and South Korea were also elected unchallenged while Slovenia handily beat Belarus for the only contested seat.

An official of rights agency, Human Rights Watch, Louis Charbonneau remarked that “the vote in the General Assembly shows why a competition for UN elections is essential” after Slovenia edged Belarus for the seat going to Eastern Europe and obtained 153 votes, against 38 in Belarus.

“UN member states have undoubtedly decided that Belarus’ grave human rights violations at home and attempts to cover up Russian atrocities in Ukraine disqualify it from serving on the Security Council, a crucial body for ensuring human rights. humans,” he added.

Algeria got 184 votes, South Korea 180 votes, Sierra Leone 188 votes and Guyana 191 in a single candidate votes for four seat reserved for Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean.

There has been a long debate about the place of Africa in international relations. At the inception of the United Nations, only four independent African countries represented the continent when 50 representatives of different countries met in San Francisco, California, in 1945 to complete the Charter of the United Nations.