MONROVIA – Former employees of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) are calling on President George Manneh Weah to intervene and ensure the fast-track payment of their benefits of US$564, 906 owed them by the company’s management.
Founded in 1973, LIBTELCO is the incumbent fixed lines and associated communications service provider.
The company was formed to be a premier provider of telecommunications services in Liberia and the sole fixed-line provider entrusted to provide basic telecommunications services to the Government and the people of Liberia.
The workers claim that the company previously owed them the amount of US$ US$574,348 in arrears for 2005 and 2006 respectively, but managed to pay the amount of US$9,842 as rice benefits to some of their colleagues.
It can be recalled that in 2020, the former employees complained the management of the LIBTELCO to the House of Representatives, through its Labor Committee, after presenting multiple documents outlining their claims to the then Board Chair, Cllr. Alexander K. Zoe, were not given credence by the management.
In their complaint, the former LIBTELCO employees disclosed that since they were redundant by the government several years ago, they are yet to receive their just benefits owed them. They also sought the intervention of the House of Representatives after an unfavorable court ruling into the matter.
Following intense legislative deliberation on the matter, the Plenary of the House of Representatives in July 2018 mandated the management of LIBTELCO to settle the arrears owed their former workers.
“The Labor Committee craves the indulgence of leadership to compel LIBTELCO to pay the 2005 and 2006 Economic and Rice benefits to the former workers of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) amounted to US$574, 348 inclusive of count expertise and transportation used to seek justice. This, in the committee’s wisdom, will alleviate the poverty inflicted upon the workers for the past 10 years,” the report which was signed by the then Committee’s chairman Christian S. Chea, Sr. stated.
As a result of the mandate from the House, a Board meeting was held at LIBTELCO on February 11, 2020. During the meeting, the Board also resolved that the Corporation should revert to the Legislature, to meet and discuss ways in which the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning can empower the Corporation to make payments to the union.
Acting in line with the mandate from the House and the Board, LIBTELCO Managing Director, Richmond N. Tobii, in a letter August 31, 2018 addressed to Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, requested the payment of the US$568,748 to cover 14 months rice benefits and 16 months economic benefits for the former workers.
But speaking in an interview with FrontPage Africa in Monrovia on Wednesday, March 30, the President of the former employees under the banner: National Telecom Workers Union of Liberia (NTWUL), Rev. Isaac N. Zotoe, disclosed that the management of the corporation has not live up to the mandate from the lawmakers.
He recalled that in August 2020, the management of LIBTELCO made a passionate plea to them for the payment of the rice component of the US$574,748 owed them.
He noted that though him and his colleagues agreed for the payment of the rice arrears owed them, the management of the company only paid the amount of US$9,842 to some of them.
“We accepted their appeal for them to pay us for the rice instead of the two benefits because they justified that they couldn’t pay all of the benefits due to financial constraints. On March 4, 2021, they called us to tell us that the payment was starting. Out of the total of 620 persons they owed, only 37 persons were paid from March 2021 to December 2021. When will they complete the rice payment to start with our economic benefits payment in United States dollars?”
Hardship
The former redundant employees of LIBTELCO claimed that the snail-pace manner and form in which authorities of LIBTELCO are going about paying their just benefits is imposing more hardship on them and their respective family members.
They complained that most often they are constrained to go to bed on empty stomach as a result of the lack of job opportunities to enable them to put food on their respective tables.
They pointed out that some of their colleagues who could no longer bear the pains have passed off, while others are lying in sick beds due to the delay in the payment of their benefits.
In addition, Rev. Zotoe emphasized that school and college going children and adults of some former LIBTELCO employees are not attending school or university this academic year.
He noted that they have walked and spent money on transportation seeking information on the payment of their benefits but to no avail.
“We don’t have jobs right now and things are getting so difficult for us on a daily basis. Some of us have to walk from our houses to get to the corporation just to ask questions on the payment of our benefits. It is not easy and most of us could die if our benefits are not paid in a timely manner”.
Plea to Weah
Meanwhile, the former workers of LIBTELCO are calling on President Weah to see reason to kindly request the management of the company to fast-track the payment of their benefits.
Rev. Zotoe stated that though they were not redundant by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government, the Liberian leader should help ensure that their benefits are paid because “government is continuity”.
He emphasized that the livelihood of scores of his colleagues is currently threatened as a result of the prolonged delay in the commencement of the economic component payment of their benefits.
“President Weah was also a former employee of the corporation. We know he is a listening leader who loves and want the best for his people. We want to use this medium to appeal to his Honorable office to intervene and ensure that we receive our rice and economic benefits on time. Things are really tough on us and we too need to send our children to school. Please hear our cry Mr. President”.
A source within LIBTELCO has confirmed the commencement of the payment of the rice component of the benefits to some of the redundant employees.
The source, who preferred not to be named, disclosed that the payment has not been finalized, but it was being done by categories.
The source pointed out that the payment of the economic benefits of the former employees remains a sticky issue that has not been agreed upon by the management.