PHOTO: Health workers at their Union’s office
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Leaders of the National Health Workers Union of Liberia (NAHWUL) say Friday evening’s meeting with government officials at the Ministry of Health was a complete “waste of time”, with the same story taking center stage.
Liberian health workers began a strike action on Wednesday in demand for pay increase, COVID-19 hazard benefits, certification of their Union, among other things. And reports from various public health facilities in Monrovia, Buchanan and other parts of the country speak of those hospitals and clinics being largely abandoned. In some places only pregnant women and other emergency care is being given.
The meeting was intended as negotiation effort to enable health workers return to their various public health facilities, but the government did not say under what condition they can return to work.
The Friday, September 18, 2020 meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance Development planning Samuel D. Tweah Jr; Minister of Justice, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean; Minister of Internal Affairs Varney Sirleaf; Minister of Labor, Moses Kollie; CSA Director, James Thompson and the Minister of Health, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah.
At the meeting, Minister Tweah was reminded huge number of public health workers about his same old story of how president Weah is doing well for the Liberian people instead of telling the health workers about decision taken toward their plight.
Minister Tweah told the group of public health workers of how president Weah is paying 12th graders WAEC fees and other children’s school fees, rather than going in the issue which they called the health workers for.
The Finance Minister further told health workers that the government has more resources for JFK and it requires investment.
However, the only tangible thing that was said by Minister Tweah was how the the Liberian government has US$3 million and from the three million, one million is going towards teachers’ hazard pay, while the remaining two million is for health workers, something the health workers have doubted.
They wondered how the Finance Minister derived at that and by what means it will be distributed to health workers was not spelled out.
Minister Tweah therefore called on the striking health workers to return to work while the government and NAHWUL’s leadership can negotiate thereafter.
In response to Minister Tweah’s statement, NAHWUL’s Assistant Secretary General, Deemi T. Dearzrua said their reason for attending Friday evening’s meeting at the Health Ministry was to hear about the implementation of their Memorandum of understanding signed in September last year by the government of Liberia during their last strike action.
Mr. Dearzrua expressed surprise again to be hearing what he called, one old story for each time they go for meeting with government.
According the NAHWUL Secretary General, then asked both Finance Minister Tweah and Justice Minister Dean whether or not they will implement their MOU signed last year September. But the question was unanswered by senior government officials attending Friday’s meeting.
At that stage, Justice Minister Dean adjoined the meeting and reechoed Minister Tweah’s call on health workers to return to work while their leaders negotiate with government.
NAHWUL’s Secretary General has meanwhile, revealed that the Justice Minister has told them again that they can’t get their Union certificate and that it requires Legislative action.
But he the Secretary told them that if it requires legislative action, they as government officials should take it to the Legislature for their consideration.
The stance of the government is said to have energized the health workers to intensify their 4-day-old strike action.
Prior to Friday’s meeting at the Health Ministry, the NAHWUL Secretary General said he received a mobile phone text message from some unknown individuals that health workers should not to utter their slogan, “injury to one, injury to all”.
Backdrop to Friday’s meeting
According to a credible source who attended the meeting the September 11, 2020 meeting at the Ministerial Complex in Monrovia’s Congo Town suburb, the health workers were shocked, as they thought the meeting organized was a meeting to find the way forward to health workers plight. But rather, the source said it was a meeting to threaten those who are wearing the burning shoe (NAHWUL).
Our source further said that when they got on the meeting ground, their cell phones were seized and all those who attended presided over last Thursday’s meeting did not sound reconciliatory, neither did they avail themselves to find a way forward to the plight of health workers.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill; General Services Agency (GSA) Director General, Mary Broh: Finance Minister, Samuel Tweah; Labour Minister, Moses Y. Kollie; the Civil Servant Agency boss, James Thompson, as well the Minister of Justice, Frank Musa Dean.
Our source further stated that during the meeting, Minister Dean told the gathering that they will not even give the certificate asked for by NAHWUL, one of their grievances spelled out in their press release on September 2,2020. And even if the Minister of Health aske, he (Minister Dean) could say no to her and he will not allow for certain group of people to give their government two weeks ultimatum.
Minister Dean further added that “where there is fire, Fire fighter will go there.”
After Minister Dean’s left the podium, Finance Minister Samuel Tweah took the stand by telling the Health workers and others in attendance that they are not appreciative and that President Weah is a humanitarian, who has done a lot within a short period of time.
Minister Tweah claimed that what President Weah has done more than in the past regime by putting 2,000 health workers on payroll, therefore they should be appreciated.
The Finance Minister pointed at the NAHWUL’s President and Assistant Secretary who were in the meeting, saying that he (Minister Tweah) has the deeper feeling that the two leaders of NAHWUL were against the government.
Meanwhile, when President Weah took the stand to speak, our source said it was more disappointing than what previous officials had said.
The Liberian leader is quoted as saying that ‘everyday your will protest and the health workers press statement never mentioned anything about protest’.