PHOTO: Protesting Tubman University workers speaking on their demands
By Charles Gbayor, maorethason1997@gmail.com
HARPER, Liberia- A fresh wave of protest has hit the campus of the Tubman University in the southeastern Maryland County.
Members of the Tubman University Staff Association (TUSA) have begun a protest action against what they claim are bad labour practices, misappropriation of public funds and administrative ineptitude at Liberia’s second biggest state-owned university.
This is the third in a series of protests on the campuses of the Tubman University since January this year.
According to TUSA President, Theophilus Fahnbulleh the staff members are exercising their rights under the laws of Liberia by staging the protest which is continuing this weekend.
He said the current leaders of the TU staff association came to office through “fearless democratic elections which resulted into elected trusted men and women to stair the affairs of (TUSA) which has been suffocated with administrative ruthlessness”.
“TUSA Leadership was elected to write the wrong of the pass as much as trading to the direction of taken the radical twist under to form Policy that will enable a working environment where equality and equity lies.
For this matter, let’s us come to one quotidian of conviction that Tubman University must not operate by duplicating the model of other associations on this campus until every right of Worker is saturated in all departments and divisions of Tubman University provided that law is gathering standard.”
In a press statement, Mr. Fahnbulleh said the Tubman University Administration came up with some weak responses some of which seemed to aggressive, provocative and diabolical to mention few of their lazy responses.
TUSA is calling for good working environment on the TU campuses.
The association maintains its position on the need to see the matrix used for the recent increment in salaries, saying that any increment should benefit all staffers.
“Where is the policy? Do you refer to the act of transferring a staff from one position to another without a valid or administrative reason(s)? Taking benefits from staffs such as death benefits and tuition waiver is also referring to as best practices too?” the President of the TU Staff Association asked.
According to TUSA President Fahnbulleh over the past year, several communications were written to Tubman University Cabinet, but he claimed that on many occasions, the administration asked them to refer their issues to the national government.
“However, we now call on the government of Liberia headed by President George Manneh Weah to effectively do a proper restructure of the University’s cabinet or a total removal of all cabinet members and place a leadership that will respond to the issues positively,” the head of TUSA said in his statement.
The press statement from TUSA then outlined their demands.
“We are very clear with our Counts and when they are not impactfully addressed we will not return to work
1.Provide safe drinking water
2.creat a good working environment
3.mis appropriation of public funds
4.settle salary discrepancies.”
Meanwhile, the TU Staff Association President Fahnbulleh has stated that their latest strike action is “in the best interests of all staffers and their action will continue until they get a impactful responds to their counts.”
Following the delivering this press statement all classes on the classes on the Campuses of the University were immediately closed and students left the Campus in frustration.