The Roberts International Airport (RIA) was a dramatic scene early Thursday when several contractors strike a go-slow in demand of two months pays while some demanded to be paid off since an Arab company had been contracted to take over three departments.
The leader of the aggrieved workers, Henieh Dorbor, explained that the management had refused to make some two months’ pay available to them even as the festive season comes to an end.
It is reported that besides the two months arrears, the management of the RIA had outsourced the flight maintenance, Cargo handling and other areas to a Kuwaiti company identified as NAS.
Though according to them, they are not objecting to the outsourcing the three places, they are accusing the management of forcing them to remain with the new company for one year on probation after which they will decide their fate.
“We think this is bad labor practice because they can decide to lay us off if they do not take us after one year; If they do not need us, let them pay us off and go,” Dorbor said.
The action affected the movements of several flights yesterday today thereby prompting the intervention of the Ministry of Labor as well as the Liberia National Police.