By Garmah Lomoh|Contributor
Thousands of protesting health workers under the umbrella organization, National Health Workers Union of Liberia took on the street in Monrovia Wednesday to petition three international partners near the capital about their burning concerns.
The international partners are United States Embassy near Monrovia, European Union and United Nations.
Despite series of meetings with the Liberian government and MOU signed September of last year to Grant the certificate of recognition to NAHWUL, the government has failed in meeting with the demands of health workers something that led to another stay home strike action.
In an eight counts petition statement read on Wednesday September 23,2020, to the offices of the United States embassy near Monrovia, European Union and the United Nations in Monrovia states that NAHWUL as a concern against the government of Liberia failure to implement the September 2019 MOU which she signed.
According to their statement, it has been exactly one year when the government of Liberia and NAHWUL signed a MOU to end a go-slow action by the Union members.
Key amongst the counts are the granting of NAHWUL a certificate of recognition as a trade union institution within sixty days period as of the date of the signing.
That Health Care Workers (HCWs) would be prioritized during the harmonization and the austerity measure will not negatively affect Health Care Workers among others.
Violating ILO agreement?
Whereas Liberia is a founding member of the international Labour Organization (ILO) and had signed convention 98 that calls for freedom to organize and right to collective bargaining and has since been ratified in 1962.
Whereas, it was recommended by the international Labour Organization (ILO) through it’s committee on freedom of Association (CFA) in case No.3202 Liberia for the registration and recognition of NAHWUL as trade union institution.
Whereas, NAHWUL has petitioned the government of Liberia through meetings and Press statement to honor the MOU signed but to no avail.
The protesting health workers were seen carrying placards, which read “we are not slave. Increase our salary”.
NAHWUL Assistant Secretary Deemi T. Dearzrua told Liberia Public Radio in an exclusive interview that the government through Finance Minister Samuel Tweah Jr is misleading the public about purported 2M to be distributed among Health workers in Liberia.
He clarified that the amount is not only for public health sector but inclusive of private Health sector which comprised of 16,000 health workers in both public and private.
Dearzrua further stated that considering the number persons in the health sector to benefit from the 2Million dollars each worker will get U$125 covering the period of March to December 2020 describing the amount as a ‘mockery’ to them.
Meanwhile, the three international community representatives have received the petition and promised to get back to the protesting Healthcare Workers.
The government of Liberia has initially threatened to replace all striking healthcare workers if they do not return to work.
Health Minister Appeals
In the wake of government-planned replacement of striking heath workers, Liberia’s minister of Health Dr. Willimina Jallah is appealing to health workers to return to their duty posts.
Speaking to Ok FM morning program on Monday September 21, 2020 Dr. Jallah slickly disagreed that the planned recruitment is not intended to replace health workers but is a routine process because some health workers have been retired and need replacement.
According to Dr. Jallah from time to time the ministry does recruitment to replace those who are retired.
