Dili, May 2, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Timor-Leste Trade Union Confederation (KSTL) commemorated International Workers’ Day by urging the IX Constitutional Government to urgently increase workers’ minimum wages. This call was made during an event held at the Government Palace on Thursday.
KSTL President Almerio Vilanova stated that on the occasion of International Workers’ Day 2025, KSTL which represents all workers in Timor-Leste, including those in the private, public, and informal sectors wants to express all their concerns as a formal request to the Government.
“Workers in Timor-Leste are facing historic levels of inequality in terms of minimum wage, which has reached a critical point. People in this country seem to mean nothing to the authorities, to the politicians, and to the influential employers. These workers face neglect, have no job security, and spend long hours working just to earn a meager wage,” said KSTL President Almerio Vilanova.
He added that the current minimum wage of $115 has dropped nearly 22% in value since 2021, based on ILO research on minimum wages in Southeast Asia. At the same time, inflation for food and beverages has increased by nearly 60%. When living costs and inflation rise drastically, it lowers workers’ living standards, putting vulnerable workers at risk of living in poverty and deprivation.
“We urge the Government to create employment within the country employment must become the center of public policy. Jobs require investment, and the Government must allocate subsidies for private investment to maximize employment impact,” he said.
He stressed that KSTL is calling for appropriate investments in sectors such as construction, health, agriculture, tourism, and maritime industries, as these are key sectors for creating stable, community-based employment and for promoting resilience.
“The Government’s budget should align with employment creation programs and the National Employment Strategy (NES). The Government should offer incentives and capacity-building for the informal economic sector and facilitate the transition from informal to formal employment,” he added.
He further urged the Government to establish laws, regulations, and ratify important conventions in the labor sector, such as the revision of Law No. 4/2012, speeding up the law for domestic workers, creating a law for maritime sector work, and laws addressing workplace violence and harassment.
“Accelerate the Decree-Law on the National Minimum Wage and Sectoral Minimum Wages, the Decree-Law on Sickness Protection under Social Security, and the Decree-Law on Unemployment Protection. Create regulations for the status of the Labor Arbitration Council. Create specific regulations on the duration and type of contracts indefinite/permanent for public administration agents, and ratify ILO Conventions No. 190 and No. 144,” he emphasized.
He underlined that KSTL is asking the Labor Inspectorate (IJT) to conduct routine inspections of companies and to impose sanctions on employers who continue to violate and exploit workers’ rights.
“Employers who continue to violate labor laws must face administrative fines paid to the state. We ask IJT to promote ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98, which have already been ratified by the State of Timor-Leste, to provide space for the parties to negotiate freely and form collective agreements, improve working conditions, and establish other benefits. We also urge IJT to promote laws on safety, health, and hygiene in the workplace to minimize work accidents,” he said.
He emphasized that KSTL is calling on the Government to promote social dialogue from enterprise-level (bipartite) to national-level (tripartite). He called on the Government (Ministry of Trade and Industry/MCAE) to urgently expedite the operations of the National Labor Council and the Labor Arbitration Council in accordance with the law.
KSTL further explained that it is bringing workers’ voices to the Government, urging it to listen to these demands and consider them in its policies, programs, and priorities. They believe that by addressing these demands, the Government can resolve the minimum wage issue in the country.
Report: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano