MONROVIA- Liberia labor Congress has expressed disenchantment in Margibi District # Representative, Tilbelrosa Tarponweh for the submission of amended version of the 2015 Decent Work Act.
The group on Monday through a press conference at its headquarters on the Japan Freeway said Rep. Tarponweh earlier July called-on his colleagues to amend sections 22.1, 30b, 30.2a, and chapters 22, 30 and 37 of the Decent Work Act to allow workers transitioning to retirement from their employers.
The decent work act passed by the 53rd Legislature in 2015 with aim to protect workers’ fundamental rights at work, labor institutions and administration, and contains provisions on recruitment and termination of work, minimum conditions of employment, workers’ compensation, industrial relations and employment agencies.
According to the chairman of the Liberia Labor congress preparatory committee, Jerry Duplay, the amended version of the Decent Work Act Bill proffer by the Margibi District #1 Lawmaker is not in the interest of the labor sector and workers union of Liberia.
He said stakeholders in the Labor sector were “marginalized in the formulation of the amended version of the bill, which he sees as being selfish and a disservice to the workers union of Liberia”.
He further called-on Senators of the 54th Legislature to intervene by not passing the amended version of the Decent work act proffered by Representative Tarponwah.
For her part, the Co-chair and National Teachers Association Representative for the group, Mary W. Nyumah, said the bill is not in the interest of the workers and need to be rectified thoroughly by legislators that were elected to represent the interest of Liberia.
Meanwhile, the president of the Civil Servant Association of Liberia, Mr. Molbah Keller Johnson expressed dismay on how workers in the civil service are treated due to low salary income and called-on Lawmakers of the 54th Legislature to increase the salary for members of the Civil Service Agency.
“We are kindly asking our lawmakers to see and to feel the pain that we are feeling and to increase the salary of civil servants to an important amount,” he said.