By Bill W. Cooper
Several aggrieved retired healthcare workers over the weekend protested at the grounds of the Capitol Building in demand of their benefits and other arrears owed them by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The aggrieved healthcare workers who were predominately older men and women were heard chanting anti-health Ministry slogan as well as carrying several placards with the inscription, “We are the foundation of this country; please honor the labor of your citizens and plan better before you start a replacement process, among others.
The Thursday, March 18 protest marked the second recent protest by the aggrieved retired healthcare workers as their first protest action at the Legislature yielded no result due to lawmakers’ failure to appear and receive the protesters’ petition.
Speaking to a team of legislative reporters, the president of the National Health Workers Union of Liberia (NHWUL), Joseph S. Tamba stated that since their illegal retirement by Health Minister, Wilhelmina Jallah, they are yet to receive their retirement benefits or pension and other arrears.
According to him, as a result of Minister Jallah’s deliberate refusal to pay them their entitled benefits, several of their colleagues have died of starvation, while others are also unable to pay their house rents and even afford sending their children to school.
He added that they have on numerous occasions engaged the MoH, NASSCORP and the Civil Service Agency through written and oral communications to look into their concerns but all to no avail, therefore their action to petition the lawmakers was the only solution to their concerns.
“Since last year of February, the MoH which is our employer, retired over 1,200 of us without prior notice or any documents concerning our retirement. Moreover, since our illegal retirement, the government through MoH is yet to give us our retirement benefits and we are very tired of this struggle,” Mr. Tamba pointed out.
He further expressed his disappointment and frustration for the inhumane treatment meted against them by the government through the MoH, NASSCORP and the CSA since their alleged illegal retirement and abandonment.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved healthcare workers have also petitioned the House of Representatives calling on that august body to speedily get involved and prevail upon the MoH to ensure that they get their benefits and other arrears.
In their five-count petition, the aggrieved workers recommended to the House that all documents of the retirees be processed without delay and that the National Social Security Welfare Corporation pays all arrears of the retiree’s benefits up-to-date.
They added in their petition that, “Six months notification be given to future retirees as well as ensuring that all related documents be processed before their retirement time and that the retirement package or handshake should be US$1,000 for the least services by tenure person.”
Receiving the aggrieved healthcare workers’ petition, Nimba County District #4 Representative and the House Committee on Claims and Petitions’ chairperson, Gunpue L. Kargon, lauded the retired health workers for their level of tolerance exhibited since their alleged retirement, thus promised to submit the document to his colleagues for further holistic conclusion into their concerns.