By Joseph Momoh reporter D.S
Sumbuya, Lugbu Chiefdom, May 11, 2026 The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has resolved a severance pay dispute between Sierra Tropical Limited and its former workers, confirming that the expired Agricultural Trade Group Collective Bargaining Agreement still governs benefits for staff below supervisory level.
Tensions flared after some former employees both those who resigned and others whose contracts were terminated argued that payments should follow the Employment Regulations 2023, claiming the Agricultural Trade Group CBA had expired and was no longer applicable.
To defuse the standoff, the Ministry sent a delegation led by Assistant Directors of Labour and Employment Moses Conteh and Osman Kargbo, who also serves as Officer in Charge of the Southern Region, to Sumbuya. They met with Paramount Chief Nallo, the area MP, representatives of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, civil society groups, traditional authorities, and Sierra Tropical General Manager Kwame Waife.
Officials clarified that Section 33(3)(b) of the Industrial Relations and Trade Unions Act 2024 provides that a Collective Bargaining Agreement remains in force after expiry until replaced by a new one. They added that workers below supervisory level fall under the Agricultural Trade Group Agreement, while Schedule Two of the Employment Regulations 2023 applies only to staff above supervisory level.
Based on that legal reading, the Ministry confirmed the 2019 Agricultural Trade Group Agreement remains the lawful basis for calculating severance for all affected non-supervisory workers at Sierra Tropical.
Following the clarification, Sierra Tropical management committed to finalizing payments for the former employees, with funds to be deposited directly into their bank accounts.
The Ministry said its intervention cleared misunderstandings and underscored its commitment to lawful labour administration and industrial peace nationwide.
_For further information, contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.
