Bill W. Cooper
Striking healthcare workers have presented their petition to the United States of America (U.S.A), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) thus requesting the various entities to prevail on the government to deliver on their demands as enshrined in the MoU signed between them.
The healthcare workers who were predominantly older men and women were also seen carrying placards with the inscription, “We want Drugs and medical supplies in all health facilities, health workers need good working environment, we want our Union certificated; health workers are not slaves, and we want increase in health workers’ salaries.”
Presenting the petition statement on behalf of the health workers yesterday in Monrovia, the National Health Workers’ Union of Liberia (NAHWUL) Assistant Secretary General, Deemi Dearzrua said that they were constrained to petition the various entities due to government’s failure to adhere or act upon the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between them and government in 2019.
Mr. Dearzrua among many things indicated that it has been exactly one year since the MoU was signed between them and the government prior to the pronouncement of their go-slow actions, when they asked the government to grant NAHWUL certificate recognizing them as a trade union, and that health workers would be prioritized during the government’s harmonization process.
According to him, as follow-up on the implementation of various accounts presented to government, the government has flagrantly decided to ignore all of their accounts especially the refusal to grant their Union certificate on grounds that it does not want the Union to collect their bargaining rights, and emphasized that said action by the government is a total violation of the MoU signed between them.
He added that the government’s actions in recent time is also in total violation of the Chapter III, Article 17 of the Liberia’s Constitution which gives all citizens the freedom to associate in political parties, trade unions and other organizations, as well as International Labour Organization (ILO) which calls for freedom to organize and rights to collective bargaining that has since been ratified in 1962.
“As means of dialoging with the government in order to avoid or ‘stay home’ strike action, NAHWUL on several occasions had petitioned the government of Liberia, through meetings and press statements to honor the MoU but all has proved futile,” Mr. Dearzrua averred.
The NAHWUL boss further reiterated that they will remain on their ‘stay home’ striking actions until the government addresses their plight including the granting of NAHWUL certificate, the provision of clear salary based on each grade that corresponds to the qualification of healthcare workers, and the provision of a blue print on how the almost 1,000 pensioners’ gap will be filled among others.
Meanwhile, following the striking health workers’ petition protest to various international partners, Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) Mayor, Jefferson Koijee has added his voice to the many voices calling on striking healthcare workers to abandon their strike actions and return to work in order to save the lives of ordinary citizens lying in various health facilities across the country.
Addressing a news conference yesterday at his MCC office in Monrovia, Mayor Koijee alarmed that from what he saw during his recent visit at some health facilities is very appalling due to health workers’ strike actions and as such, it is time for them to let go their decision and return to work, as they all find means to amicably resolve the crisis.
“Please come back to work and save the lives of the ordinary citizens that have been affected by your strike actions, and let us all sit on the table and dialogue to find solution to your demands. You cannot be home and resolve problems because your stay at home is causing serious damage to our health system,” Mayor Koijee appealed.
He further frowned on the oppositions and other well-meaning Liberians who he said are happy for the health workers’ decision because it is against the government, saying, “It is very unfortunately that some politicians will be happy and laughing now only because health workers are protesting forgetting to know that health workers’ decision is greatly affecting the ordinary citizens who they boast of advocating for lives.”