Monrovia – Two former employees of RTI International, a U.S. government contractor operating in Liberia, have accused the organization of violating Liberian labor laws by refusing to honor fixed-term contracts and pay benefits owed following the premature termination of their project.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Jefferson Krua, who served as a Value Chain Marketing and Competitiveness Specialist on the USAID-funded Food Security Nutrition and Resilience (FSNR) activity, alleges that RTI International has failed to pay him and another colleague the salaries and benefits they are owed under Liberian labor law. Krua was on a one-year fixed-term contract set to end in June 2025, but the project was abruptly canceled by the U.S. government.
“Despite the early termination of the project, the law is clear — RTI International is obligated to pay us until the end of our contract,” said Krua. “This includes salaries up to June 9, 2025, pro-rated 13th month pay, and any accrued unused annual leave.”
FrontPage Africa reached out to Mr. Michael Tewolde Ghebrab, Chief of Party at RTI International–Liberia, for comment. However, as of the time of publication, there has been no response to our inquiries. Emails sent to Mr. Ghebrab went unanswered.
Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has canceled hundreds of USAID projects around the world as it dismantles USAID, which it accuses of wastefulness and of advancing liberal causes. Liberia has seen dozens of projects canceled by USAID, the West African country’s largest development partner.
RTI International operated two USAID-funded projects in Liberia – the US$20 million Food Security Nutrition and Resilience activity (FSNR) and the US$24 million Transforming the Education System for Teachers and Students in Liberia activity (TESTS). Both projects were shut down by the Trump administration.
Krua and his colleague have threatened to take legal action against RTI International in pursuit of their benefits. They alleged that since their plan to legal action, the organization has resorted to intimidation and pressure tactics to force them into backing down. They accused the company of initially withholding their March salaries and only paid after they contacted the company’s senior vice president for Human Resources in the U.S. “They even reneged on a promise to allow staff to keep work laptops after project closure — a benefit extended to others — simply because we demanded our rights,” Krua said.
The employees also argue that RTI International’s alleged noncompliance not only harms workers, but robs the Liberian government of income. “These benefits include taxes owed to the state. By refusing to pay us, RTI is also avoiding paying tens of thousands of dollars in payroll and income taxes,” Krua noted.
It is not clear why RTI International is allegedly denying the legal benefits of its fixed-term staff when other USAID projects are complying with Liberian law. Inquiries were made at other USAID-funded projects where employees confirmed that those projects have complied with labor regulations and are paying their former employees who were hired on fixed-term contracts appropriately.
In email communication between the company’s senior leaders and the aggrieved staff, RTI International cited “force majeure”, a legal concept that refers to an event that is unforeseeable, unavoidable, and beyond the control of the parties involved in a contract. Typically, it can excuse both parties from fulfilling their obligations.
The aggrieved workers say this is a stance that has been reiterated by RTI International’s in a failed mediation conference after the two former staff asked the Labor Ministry to intervene.
However, the aggrieved workers contend RTI International’s force majeure claim is unusual, given that the company is donating assets, including four Toyota Landcruisers that were purchased over three years ago for US$35,000 each. Those assets are being distributed to organizations that RTI International has no legal obligation to provide those donations to, unlike its legal obligations to the two employees, they argued. They added that all USAID contractors submit reimbursement requests to the U.S. government for necessary and lawful expenses that come as a result of doing their job.
When the U.S. government decided to cancel all USAID projects, it came with the understanding that they would be responsible for paying for any lawful costs associated with the closure. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that the U.S. government must pay contractors for work it obligated them to.
The aggrieved former employees say RTI International is simply trying to avoid meeting its legal responsibilities in Liberia and is depriving honest working Liberians of benefits to which they are entitled and the Liberian government of much-needed revenues.
Krua argues that the company’s actions are part of a broader effort to minimize expenses and maximize profits at the expense of Liberian workers and institutions.
“This is not just a violation of our rights. It is an exploitation of the system — a way for RTI to enrich itself while sidestepping responsibilities,” he said.
