Just Days Earlier, CSA Boss Told Civil Servants:
“I will Not Behave like a Politician… I will always tell civil servants the truth and the reality is that the current national budget of a little over US$700million cannot accommodate increment in civil servants’ salaries”
FLASHBACK Civil servants during one of their protest actions
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia- Since the government of President George Manneh Weah controversially reduced the salaries of government workers in 2019 through what they called “harmonization”, he has now probably decided to deploy an election tactic to win the minds Civil servants by announce step up in meagre wages for some 15, 000 civil servants, nine months to presidential and legislative elections.
The salaries to be topped up are below the minimum US150 stipulated in the Minimum Wage law, which the Ministry of Labour has been vigorously enforcing at private companies since the CDC government came to power in January 2018.
President Weah said in his 6th and final State of the Nation Address to the Legislature yesterday, Monday, January 30, 2023, that six million US dollars is needed to effect the top up of salaries, something that he and the Lawmakers had repeatedly failed to do until now, despite numerous cries from civil servants and their leaders of their Association.
Pres. Weah delivering his SONA on Monday
This process of harmonization led to series of demonstrations at various government ministries and agencies which led one of the Judiciary employees Archie Ponpon to set himself ablaze at the Temple of Justice in 2021.
Many wondered why President Weah at these dying minutes to election will order the Legislature to give key attention to civil servants’ salaries when the budget appears before them when he couldn’t do it prior to the conclusion of his first term.
“As domestic revenue improves, we remain committed to enhancing the welfare of Government workers. I have been informed that some 15,000 Government workers still make below the minimum wage of $150 US dollars, as mandated by the Decent Work Act.
This is completely unacceptable. No Government worker should make below the minimum wage mandated by public law. I have therefore directed that, as part of the 2023 budget, the wages for all such workers be raised at or above the minimum wage. I am informed that the cost to achieving this is estimated at $6 million US dollars annually” President Weah said in his over three-hour-long speech at the Capitol Building.
During previous budget year, the Weah government boasted of having budget surplus, yet civil servants’ cry for top up in their salaries fell on deaf ears.
Critics have raised questions as to when the President get to know that civil servants’ pay was below the minimum wage sealing contained in the law and what happens to the fact that his CDC government has been violating the Minimum Wage law for years now?
One political analyst has said that this latest pronouncement by the international football icon-turned politician in the dying minutes of his regime might trigger agitation by many civil servants that if they are to be satisfied after being denied the minimum wage for so long, the government must give them back pay.
Recently, the General auditing commission discovered several disparities in the harmonization scheme carried out the government in 2019, with the most affected being the low income government employees rather than officials at the top.
“I will Not ehave like a Politician… I will always tell civil servants the truth and the reality is that the current national budget of a little over US$700million cannot accommodate increment in civil servants’ salaries”—CSA boss James Thompson
Just days before President Weah’s declaration in his SONA, the Director General of the Civil Service Agency, James Thomson was emphatic about government’s inability to increase civil servants’ salaries.
“The Liberian government is committed to ensuring that civil servants are of priority and that issue concerning their wellbeing including prompt salary payment is delivered monthly. We will also continue to support the Civil Servants Association of Liberia (CSAL) in its drive to forge for the wellbeing of its members,” the CSA boss told government workers at the induction of new officials of the Civil Servants Association of Liberia (CSAL).
Mr. Thompson effectively ruled out possibility of any pay increase for the thousands of civil servants on the eve of the Liberian leader’s speech, saying that giving them any promise of a salary increase would amount to political talk.
“I will not behave like a politician when it comes to my job; I will always tell civil servants the truth and the reality is that the current national budget of a little over US$700million cannot accommodate increment in civil servants’ salaries otherwise all other services and pivotal programs as well as resources needed to run the government will not be available,” the head of the Civil Service Agency, Mr. Thompson frankly put it to disenchanted civil servants many hours before the President’s SONA.
But President Weah later told another story.
“And so, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro-Tempore, and Distinguished Members of the 54th National Legislature, as we accelerate the discussion for the 2023 National Budget, I urge you to make the securing of this amount of $6 million US dollars for these 15,000 workers one of your highest priorities. I look forward to engaging you further on this.”