The Social Protection and Decent Work Program (PS-TD) is an ambitious project which aims to improve working conditions and social protection in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Officially launched by the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Claudine Ndusi M’Kembe, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium in the DRC, Madame Roxane de Bilderling, this program is piloted by the Belgian Development Agency-Enabel in three cities in countries, namely Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Kolwezi.
The PS-TD mainly targets women and young people aged 16 to 35, who represent a significant share of the working age population in the DRC. The program aims to help them access decent employment, be better protected by labor rights and benefit from social protection. This is a strong commitment from the Belgian government to support the DRC in its fight against social inequalities and its promotion of decent work.
The project is funded to the tune of 16.2 million euros over a period of 5 years, from 2022 to 2027. It plans several concrete actions to achieve its objectives. First of all, with regard to the creation of decent jobs, the program aims to guide 12,000 people towards decent work, to benefit from the services of the National Employment Office (ONEM) and to accelerate development of 400 social economy companies.
In terms of respect for rights at work, the program plans to inform more than a million people about their rights and labor standards, to train 5,000 people on these standards and rights, as well as to carry out 1,300 labor inspections. .
As for social protection, more than a million people will be informed about the possibilities of benefiting from social protection, 50,000 people will benefit from better social protection and 2,400 women will be supported during their pregnancy.
Finally, in terms of social dialogue, the program plans to train and support more than 5% of members of unions and employers’ organizations, to train 250 union representatives and to discuss 20 collective labor agreements.
It is important to emphasize that this program will be implemented in collaboration with various government actors and partners such as the Ministry of Employment, Labor and Social Security, ONEM, the Congo Business Federation, Resource Centers, mutual health insurance, trade union movements and the Belgian Decent Work Coordination Platform.
In conclusion, the Social Protection and Decent Work Program in the DRC represents a major initiative to improve working conditions and social protection for women and young people. Thanks to collaboration between the DRC and Belgium, this program aims to create decent jobs, guarantee respect for rights at work, offer better social protection and promote social dialogue. A crucial step towards reducing social inequalities and promoting decent work in the country.