Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) - Sierra Leone (Ratification: 2022)

The Committee notes the Government’s first report.

Parts II (Medical care), III (Sickness benefit), and VI (Employment injury benefit) of the Convention. Application in law and in practice. The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in its report on the application of Parts II, III, and VI of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to specify the provisions of the national legislation which ensure the application of each Article of Parts II, III, and VI of the Convention. The Committee also requests the Government to provide statistical data on persons covered by Parts II, III and VI, as required by the report form for the Convention.

Part V (Old-age benefit), Article 27, Part IX (Invalidity benefit), Article 55, and Part X (Survivors’ benefit), Article 61. Persons protected. The Committee observes that pursuant to section 23 of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act No. 5 of 2001, the pension scheme compulsory covers “all workers employed in the formal sector” and provides for voluntary membership for the self-employed. It further notes from the Government’s “National Social Protection Strategy for Sierra Leone 2022–2026” (Strategy) that, in practice, only a very small number of formal workers have guaranteed social security benefits provided by the National Social Security and Insurance Trust and other contributory social insurance mechanisms. The Strategy also indicates that as of June 2021, 259,505 members are registered under the pension scheme, of which 5,379 are voluntary contributors. Accordingly, the pension scheme is estimated to effectively cover only 2 to 3 per cent of the total population. In this respect, the Committee recalls that under Articles 27, 55 and 61 of the Convention, contributory old-age, invalidity, and survivors’ benefits shall cover at least 50 per cent of all employees or the economically active population, constituting not less than 20 per cent of all residents. The Committee, therefore, requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to extend the personal scope of the pension scheme. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the number of persons registered under the pension scheme (employees and self-employed persons), since 2023.

Part VI (Employment injury benefit), Article 34. Medical care free of charge. The Committee observes that in its comments under the Workmen's Compensation (Accidents) Convention, 1925 (No. 17), it noted that according to section 79(1)(c) of the Employment Act 2023, medical allowances are provided to workers and shall not exceed two months of the workers’ basic salary. Additionally, healthcare services are provided by Government funded hospitals at low costs. Recalling that the medical care listed in Article 34 of the Convention shall be provided free of charge in case of employment injury, the Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the State assumes responsibility for medical care costs that exceed the medical allowance provided to injured workers.

Part XI (Standards to be complied with by periodical payments), Article 65(10). Regular adjustment of pensions. The Committee observes that pursuant to section 47(2) of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act No. 5 of 2001, “benefit payments shall be tied to the level of earnings and other payments to the Trust and shall be indexed in accordance with increases in the incomes as reflected in the fund of the Trust.” The Committee recalls that as per Article 65(10) of the Convention, the rates of current periodical payments in respect of old age, employment injury (except in case of incapacity for work), invalidity and death of breadwinner, shall be reviewed following substantial changes in the general level of earnings where these result from substantial changes in the cost of living. TheCommittee requests the Government to provide information on the application of section 47(2) of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act of 2001 in practice, particularly statistical data on the pensions adjustment since 2023, according to Title VI of the report form for the Convention.