THREATENS STRIKE ACTION STARTING JULY 20, 2023
South East, Liberia – The South Eastern Health Workers Network of Liberia has threatened to start a strike action starting July 20, 2023, 12:00 AM midnight. According to the group, their action is based on government refusal to address their demands.
According to a press release issued by the group, The leadership requests that all healthcare professionals in the five counties in the Southeast, including Maryland, Sinoe, River Gee, Grand Gedeh, and Grand Kru, stay at home as of July 20, 2023 at 12 AM due to the government’s failure to solve the following issues, among others.
They named; 1. Salaries disparities, 2. Inclusion of volunteer health workers, 3. Constant deduction of salaries, Low salaries, 4.Motivational package for hard-to-reach counties (Southeast), 5. Replacement of pensioned health workers. 6. That SAAR Insurance company should no longer be accepted for the general health workers population in the Southeast due to its being insignificant to about 90 percent of health workers in the Southeast. 7. Most importantly failure of the government to replace ghosts names identified during the independent verification conducted by the leadership of the Southeastern health workers Network among others.
They recounted how the government, via the aforementioned departments and Agency, MINISTER WILLIMENA JALLAH, MOH, MINISTER SAMUEL D. TWEH, MFDP, AND MR. JAMES THOMPSON, CSA DIRECTOR had ordered the leadership of the Southeastern Health workers to halt the action in which they had pledged to address these issues during the June 2022 go slow action.
Though, when the go-slow action began, about eight hundred health workers’ names were released and partially benefited from little increment leaving the majority out.
They also added that the leadership has received harsh criticism from peers for the government’s partial decision to have increased the salaries of a select number of health professionals by a little percentage, as well as for stating that the small increase was not made with anticipation.
The leadership of the Southeastern health workers Network was instructed to conduct independent verification for every health worker as a result of the last year’s action, and more than 50 health workers were found to be ghosts. They have not yet been replaced.
”We therefore expect every health worker across the length and breath of the southeast to observe the Stay home for better Opportunity.”
Reports 231 contacted John Neufville is secretary General of the SOUTHEASTHERN HEALTH WORKERS NETWORK OF LIBERIA concerning the release, he confirmed that the release was issued by the leadership.
