CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – Disenchanted workers and contractors of the National Transit Authority (NTA) on Wednesday gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the temporary office of the President is, to protest for their four months’ salary arrears.
By Francis G. Boayue, Intern
According to the protesters, they have worked for four months without being paid. They cried out to President Weah to remove the Managing Director of the NTA, Mr. Herbie Tecombla McCauley.
As part of their strike, the group packed all the NTA buses that were plying the streets of Monrovia and its environs before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to signal the seriousness of their plights to President Weah.
The group held placards with inscriptions “McCaulay must leave NTA”, and “We want our salary”.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting workers, Veronica Doe, an employee of the NTA as Conductor, said their action to protest is due to the constraints they have been faced with at the entity for the past three years and the Managing Director’s alleged refusal to pay their Daily Sustenance Allowance and salary for four months.
Veronica Doe: “The Managing Director normally leaves his office and go to the bus parking to collect the NTA fares generated by the conductors to send on his mobile money account and he also has his daughter, Tracy McCauley, who is in the employ of the NTA making US$750 while drivers are making L$22,000 and owes them for four months.”
Efforts made to speak to the Public Relations Officer of the NTA on the ground of the protest due to pressure from the aggrieved workers were unsuccessful up to press time.
The NTA employees’ strike led to transportation difficulties for many Liberians who cannot afford to ride taxi to commute their way to their various areas of hustle ground on Wednesday in Monrovia.
Speaking to Charles Johnson one of the regular commuters on the NTA bus from the NTA bus stop at Duport Road junction, he stressed his disappointment for the action taken by the NTA bus drivers without notifying its regular customers.
“I am so disappointed this morning and don’t even know how I’m going to make my way in town today because I only have LD$50 on me which is the NTA transport fare from Duport Road to Broad Street while taxi drivers charge LD$180 from here to town so I’m here with no option but to go back home because of no NTA bus today,”
Charles said.