Rwandans urged to view Labour Day as opportunity for economic boost

Rwanda’s Minister for Labour and Public Service

Anastase Murekezi (Standing) as he spoke to a gathering during the Labour Day ceremony at Amahoro Stadium 2013

The world’s most dependable population (workers) have celebrated Labour Day this 1May 2013, a day that Rwandans find as the most momentous due to the fact that the country’s fast growing economy has been a lecture among other developing and developed countries.

This year’s Labour Day is being considered one of prospects for Rwandans to improve productivity in the country, an economical significance that will be manifested if Rwandans prefer to increase working hours especially in the government and private sector according Anastase Murekezi; Rwanda’s Minister for Public Service and Labour. The Minister remarked while standing as the guest of honour during the workers day ceremony that held at Remera Amahoro Stadium.

While it was earlier declared that the average working hours among workers in both formal and informal sector is 39 hours per week, the International Labour Organisation suggests that the average number of hours worked per week, over the number of weeks covered by any such agreement, must not exceed 48 hours.

It is estimated that Rwanda has about 280,000 employees, having about 85,000 of them in public service, and education field particularly teachers are approximately  more than 50,000 active workers.

Following massive applauses about the country’s improvement in fighting child labour and emphasis in Youth and women empowerment, solving unemployment crisis through programs like Hanga Umurimo (Job creation), SSACOS and such initiatives, The government is not happy with the statistics that more than 89 per cent of employees work less than 26 hours per week, a factor that is a hindrance to the required speed of nation’s development according to the Public Service and Labour Ministry.

Minister Murekezi who previously addressed miners in Nyabihu District located in the Western province of Rwanda, elaborated why every Rwandan need to review the working schedule. He suggested to Rwandans to work at least for a period between 35 and 45 hours a week, arguing that development of the country’s economy depends on hard working.