Monrovia – The Health Workers Association and eight other Trade Union groups peacefully stormed offices of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) in Central Monrovia on 18 October 2016 to mount pressure on the Government of Liberia for its continual failure to reinstate of the leaders of the Health Workers Association of Liberia (NAHWAL) and the Airport Workers Union with immediate effect.
In their statement presented to the CSA, the union called the government action “Anti-Union”, particularly the dismissals of George Poe Williams and Joseph S. Tamba of the National Health Workers Association of Liberia (NAHWAL) and Mellish P. G. Weh and Jayce W. Garniah of the Roberts International Airport Workers Union (RIAWU).
“Four months have passed without any redress to our concerns, but the issues worsen by the day”; the statement read by the Secretary General of NAHWAL, George Poe Williams elaborated claiming that since June this year they petitioned the Government and have not received any redress.
Williams emphasized “Although the constitution guarantees the right to association and specifically refers to trade unions, the Government have institute two labor laws, he Decent Work Act for the private sector and the Civil Service Standing Order for the public sector, denying public servants their international and constitutional rights to organize themselves into unions.
The workers then called for abolition of the Civil Service Standing Order and the amendment of the Decent Work law to include civil servants and the Maritime workers. They also requested the implementation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention calls for Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize and Convention 98 calls for the right to organize and to bargain collectively.
Receiving the statement on behalf of the government, the Deputy Director-General of the Civil Service Agency, Othello Weh called on the trade union workers to remain peaceful in their plight.
“We want to appeal to all of you remain peaceful. Even though there are some issues that need to be discussed. As you raise your issues, we are going to turn over to the appropriate authorities that will look into your issues”, Weh promised.
Government critics see the promise as another mere talk to the trade union workers and they believe that this government cannot listen to peaceful protest.
Michael Wilson from the Intellectual Forum opposite the CSA said “Only violence can make this government take action”.
“For me the trade union needs to shut the entire country down for a whole day; this will draw the immediate attention of the government”, he concluded.