Labour Minister Seeks Protection of Jobs Amid AI Expansion

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, has urged global leaders to adopt a fair and inclusive approach to artificial intelligence (AI), warning that the technology could deepen inequality if not properly regulated.

Speaking at the 114th International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organization (International Labour Organization) in Geneva, the Minister said AI should not only be viewed as a technological innovation but as a critical issue affecting jobs, development, and social justice—especially for developing countries such as Sierra Leone.

He cautioned that unequal access to digital tools, skills, and connectivity risks leaving vulnerable workers behind, while also raising concerns over job displacement through automation, algorithmic bias, workplace surveillance, and threats to data privacy.

Minister Swaray stressed the need for a coordinated global response to ensure that AI strengthens rather than undermines decent work.

“Artificial intelligence cannot and must not replace our commitment to human dignity,” he said.

The Minister also highlighted ongoing labour reforms in Sierra Leone aimed at strengthening worker protection and adapting to the changing world of work. These include a 50 percent increase in the national minimum wage, raising it from Le 800 to Le 1,200, the introduction of a digital work permit system, and plans to extend social security coverage to workers in the informal sector.

He further noted that Cabinet has approved a new Data Protection and Right to Access Information Bill, describing it as part of broader efforts to strengthen governance and safeguard citizens in an increasingly digital economy.

Minister Swaray reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to international cooperation on emerging technologies, calling for renewed global solidarity to ensure innovation promotes inclusion rather than exclusion.

He was accompanied at the conference by Sierra Leone’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, Samuel U.B. Saffa Esq.