Ganta, Nimba County – Over a hundred aggrieved workers of the Project Implementing Committee are demanding their nine months’ salary arrears and other benefits they are claiming the county administration owes them.
The workers are claiming that since November 2017 they have not been paid their salaries.
Jacob O.Tarr, spokesperson for the aggrieved workers, said they have engaged the county administration, which is headed by Superintendent David Dorr Cooper and the county lawmakers but there have been no positive responses.
Tarr said in 2012 they signed a contract with the county’s Project Implementing Committee but have since not been consider for full-time employment.
D. Elton Mongor, the chief driver for PMC; Martin Mendin, a 966 operator and Lincoln Tour, a truck driver alleged that they are treated wrongfully by the county administration.
“We all have families and we are working without pay; we are treated like we are not from the county,” said Mendin.
According to three aggrieved workers, some of the aggrieved contractors are paid US$320 and others are paid US$400.
The aggrieved PMC workers are now threatening to stay away from work until their salaries are paid by the county administration.
“If they want their jobs let them get it but we need our pay,” the aggrieved workers disclosed.
They lamented that their children were unable to complete the 2017/2018 academic school year due to the failure of the PMC to pay their wages for almost eight months now.
In early 2010, the county purchased 22 earth moving machines for roads construction and rehabilitation of damaged bridges in the county.
But there have been reports by local community radio stations that the machines are yet to make impact on the lives of locals in the county.
There are also concerns that criminals have stolen parts of some of the yellow machines.
County Superintendent Dorr Cooper turned down several inquiries by our reporter, who asked him to comment on the situation.
But PMC Chairman Peterson Walker said the county has been short on resources for the past few months to underwrite the salaries of the workers.
He added that the delays in holding the county sitting have also led to the salaries payment issues, adding that the aggrieved workers are contractors who were hired for a six-month period.
“And once their salaries are paid the PMC will have to decide whether they will be hire again or not,” Walker said.
However, he added that other stakeholders in the county are considering means to solve the problem before the 26 of July.