The members of Lesotho's Wages and Conditions of Employment Board now share a common grounding in how to set minimum wages through reliable evidence and tripartite social dialogue, following an training organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The central message of the training was that effective minimum wage determination requires both sound evidence and genuine social dialogue. Reliable data helps the parties assess wage adequacy and economic conditions, while inclusive consultation supports recommendations that balance worker protection with sustainable enterprises.
The training brought together nine Board members drawn equally from government, trade unions and employers, alongside two independent members from the Central Bank of Lesotho and the national statistics institution. The Ministry's Principal Secretary was among the government representatives.
Opening the session, the Commissioner of Labour underlined its importance for wage determination in Lesotho. The Ministry then set out the Board's composition, legal mandate and responsibilities, providing the institutional context for the technical sessions.
What effective minimum wage setting requires
ILO regional specialist presented the foundations of minimum wage setting, including the relevant international labour standards and the distinctions between minimum wages, adequate wages and living wages, stressing that wage setting should take into account the needs of workers and their families together with economic factors such as productivity, employment and enterprise sustainability, and that clear rules, balanced representation, compliance and monitoring matter.
A second ILO session addressed social dialogue and consensus building. Drawing on experience from African countries, it highlighted four conditions: meaningful consultation before decisions are taken, equal participation of employers and workers, access to relevant information, and mutual trust.
Lessons from Ghana
Ghana's Fair Wages and Salaries Commission shared its country's experience in a session titled "Ghana's Minimum Wage Journey: Process, Lessons, and Insights for Lesotho". It explained how the National Tripartite Committee relies on technical analysis and secretariat support to negotiate the national daily minimum wage, and spoke openly about challenges with data quality, purchasing power and enforcement, particularly in the informal economy.
The exchange prompted Board members to compare Ghana's arrangements with their own and to identify ways of strengthening the technical preparation and institutional support behind their negotiations.
A foundation for the Board's work
With this induction, Board members enter their future deliberations with a shared understanding of their mandate, of the standards that guide minimum wage setting and of the practices that have worked elsewhere on the continent. The training also provides a basis for identifying where further capacity building is needed.
For Lesotho and Ghana alike, the exchange showed how wage-setting institutions in Africa can learn from one another to shape informed wage policies and advance decent work and social justice.
