MONROVIA – Scores of aggrieved employees of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) on Friday humiliated and booed their Managing Director, Duannah A. Kamara for being allegedly ‘insensitive’ to their plights at the corporation.
The aggrieved workers staged a protest before the LWSC’s premises on Front Street in Monrovia, besieging Mr. Kamara, his Deputy for Administration, Moseray Momoh, and other high ranking officials from leaving the compound for several hours.
The protesting workers held placards with inscriptions: ‘We want our pay, our children and families are dying, Since June 2019, no pay, Mr. President, we need your intervention at LWSC, among others.
They also chanted anti and humiliating slogans against MD Kamara and his Deputies saying: ‘Rogue rogue, rogue, rogue, rogue, rogue.’
The issues
“The management of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation has been very inhumane to workers of the corporation. They have been giving us very misleading information as it relates to our salaries and benefits. This month makes it exactly five months we have not taken pay; and seven months we have not gotten transportation allowance. But every day they tell workers that you, come to work; if you do not come, we will mark you absent.”
C. Abayemi Cassell, Secretary-General of the LWSC Workers Union
The aggrieved employees had gathered before the compound of the LWSC to stage a peaceful protest over delay in the payment of their five (5) months each salary arrears owed them by government.
They were also protesting to draw the attention of central government and the public to the refusal of government to settle their seven (7) months transportation allowance.
The aggrieved employees complained about the lack of tools and safety gear to enable them to carry on their assigned tasks and responsibilities void of hindrances.
They accused their bosses of allegedly living extravagantly as evidenced by their appearances and persistent change of vehicles, while their living conditions remain appalling.
They claimed that donor funding to the LWSC has not been adequately managed to actualize the core values for which the entity was established.
The protesting workers described working condition at the corporation as ‘modern day slavery and working in hell’.
“The working condition at the LWSC is like working in hell. We have to bring our own tools from our houses to come to work,” one of the protesters stated.
According to the Secretary-General of the LWSC Workers Union, C. Abayemi Cassell, for too long authorities of the agency have played a lackadaisical attitude towards the numerous constraints affecting workers at the corporation.
“The management of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation has been very inhumane to workers of the corporation. They have been giving us very misleading information as it relates to our salaries and benefits. This month makes it exactly five months we have not taken pay; and seven months we have not gotten transportation allowance. But every day they tell workers that you, come to work; if you do not come, we will mark you absent,” he stated.
Cassell maintained that though employees of the agency have been committed to their assigned tasks, authorities of the LWSC continue to make working conditions ‘unfavorable’ for them.
“Every day they will tell us that next week we will take pay. Even the Board Chair, Madam Kebeh Collins told us in October that in two weeks’ time, we were going to get our pay; that did not work,” he added.
He pointed out that numerous meetings called by MD Kamara did not yield fruitful results up to present.
Mountainous constraints
The aggrieved workers claimed that they are faced with numerous constraints due to the delay by government to pay their just salaries and allowance.
They pointed out that their children have been thrown out of the classrooms due to their failure to settle their tuition fees at various institutions.
The LWSC workers added that they are constrained to ‘beg’ family members, friends, and neighbors in their respective communities just to transport themselves to and from work.
“Some of our colleagues are working but they are not able to pay their children school fees. They are not even able to take care of their families. This is not an easy issue that you can handle. This is very grave and demeaning. The workers have been bearing patience with management, and they have engaged them in every means but they have failed us,” Cassell noted.
He pointed out that the aggrieved workers have resolved to continuously stage a go-slow action until their salaries are paid by government.
Call for resignation
The aggrieved LWSC employees want President George Manneh Weah to unconditionally dismiss the Kamara-led leadership at the corporation.
According to them, the current leadership at the corporation is not working in the interest of the workers, and country at large.
They claimed that personal aggrandizement is being prioritized by authorities at the LWSC over the interest of ‘those who look for money for the entity’.
“My comments to the President is, let him come to LWSC and make some changes because the people that are here are not in the interest of the workers. They are in their own interests and the interests of their families. Changes should be made here so it can be better for us,” the Secretary-General of the LWSC Workers Union maintained.
The protest at the LWSC premises subsided following the deployment of officers of the Joint Security of the Liberian government, including the Police Support Unit (PSU), and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS).
Under heavy security escort, Mr. Kamara and Mr. Momoh were risked off the compound in a speeding convoy after the protesters were removed from the entrance of the premises.
LWSC’s objectives
The Liberia water and Sewer Corporation was created by an Act to amend the Public Utilities Law in 1973.
The Corporation is empowered to construct, install, establish, operate, manage and supply to all parts of Liberia, safe drinking water and perform all sewerage services, as well as to maintain such water and sewerage facilities.
It was also founded to engage in the management, development, construction, installation, manufacture, operation, transmission, distribution, sale and supply to all areas of water and sewage services and of equipment and facilities related thereto.
The LWSC establishes and maintains water and sewer facilities, offices and agencies within Liberia; and to exercise any or all of its corporate powers and rights in Liberia and in any foreign or countries, if need be.
The corporation determines fair and reasonable rates, fees, and charges which shall be charged in connection with the provision of water and sewage services.