Liberia Labor Congress (LLC) elections has suffered extreme setback over attempt by the incumbent batch of leaders to exclude public sector workers from the electioneering process.
The elections could not go ahead on the prescribed date and time of September 30, 2021 after a huge delegates from about 14 member Unions of the LLC opposed to the exclusion of the PSW.
While the delegates were waiting for the start of voting, the 14 Union members resulted to an emergency meeting and crafted a resolution in support of the Public Sector Workers (PSW) participation in the elections without any precondition.
In their resolution, the 14 Trade Unions viewed the decision by the LLC leadership and some of their colleagues as premature and only intended to deny legitimate Liberian workers their rights to associate and make decision on their own behalf.
Reading the resolution, a delegate at the failed LLC Convention, Edwin B. Cisco noted that the last minute to time withdrawal of the Public Sector Workers amounts to discrimination and an attempt to undermine the capacity of the labour sector.
Mr. Cisco argued that the rights of Public Sector Workers is truly guarantee by ILO convention 87 and Article 37 of the Liberia Constitution as well as the LLC 2021 amended constitution.
He said they would not do anything that will validate the government position that PSWs should not be part of the LLC.
Mr. Cisco noted that as far as Trade Union is concerned, PSWs workers have the rights without anyone deciding for them to be member of the LLC.
In response, the Acting Secretary General of the Liberia Labour Congress, Mr. Obediah Tarlue said the Decent Work Act of 2016 exempts Public Sector Workers from participating into Trade Union activities as such the leadership wouldn’t want to be caught in violation of the law.
Mr. Tarlue noted that Public Sector Workers rights are guarantee under the Decent Work Art and the civil Servant Standing Order which exempt them from trade union activities.
He said they would respect the Country’s labour law by disallowing the Public Sector workers in the elections.
Mr. Tarlue wants Public Sector Workers to bear with the leadership so that after the elections, they new leadership can engage the government to amend the provision of the Decent Work Art that prohibits them from taking part in trade union matter.
It is widely believe that the rivalry within the LLC is not necessarily about the law but it is about greed and people wanting to perpetual themselves into power.
The Youth election also ended in deadlock over similar concern about the Public Sector Workers.
Since the elections failed to take place, some trade unionists are now calling for the ushering in of an intern leadership that would take the LLC to a well-organized and respected elections void of discrimination.
However, the Public Sector Workers are yet to make official statement on the LLC election process.
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