Civil Servants Mount Tension

Civil Servants Mount Tension

…Cite ‘Salary Disparities’

By Godgift Harris

A wave of unrest is brewing across the country’s civil service sector as thousands of government employees are expressing growing frustration over poor salaries, long-standing disparities and “unbearable economic hardship.”

Reliable sources in key government ministries have revealed that civil servants are organizing a nationwide protest, demanding salary reform and equal pay for equal work.

The protest, currently in its planning stages, could spark widespread demonstrations in the 15 counties if their concerns are not urgently addressed by the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

At the heart of the pending protest, is the deteriorating wage structure that has plagued the civil service for years, particularly during and after the administration of the former ruling party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).

 Civil servants allege that under the CDC government, salaries were slashed, leaving many employees struggling to survive on what they describe as meager and inhumane wages.

According to a whistleblower within the Ministry of Information some employees are currently earning as little as US$90 monthly, alongside L$8,000, which roughly amounts to US$40 at the current exchange rate totaling less than US$130 per month.

“This is disgraceful,” said a MICAT staff member, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

“How can a full-time government employee, with a family survive on just US$90 for a whole month? It is unsustainable, and it’s insulting.”

The source further alleged that within the same institution, employees performing the same tasks are being paid with huge amount depending on their connections or political affiliations.

“Two persons doing the same work, then one gets paid US$90, another gets US$300. That’s what is killing the morale in the system.”

Civil servants say the roots of this crisis go back to the salary harmonization implemented under the then administration.

The harmonization, intended to create equity within the public payroll, instead triggered widespread salary reductions across government institutions.

While the government insisted the cuts were necessary to clean up the wage bill and eliminate ghost names, the policy left many civil servants earning far less than their previous pay in some cases, over 50 percent less.

“This is why Liberians voted the erstwhile government out,” said an employee at the Ministry of Education.

“They took away our dignity when they cut our pay and even now, we are still stuck in this poverty trap. We expected better.”

The frustration continues to mount as civil servants say they have seen no significant changes in salary up to date, despite promises to prioritize public sector welfare.

Now, civil servants have called on the President to urgently intervene and institute immediate salary reforms before the situation explodes.

“We are tired of waiting on rescue missions,” a statement circulating among civil servants reads.

According to the sources, civil servants are planning to organize coordinated marches in every county to paralyze key sectors if their demands are not met.

“This protest is not just for MICAT or the Ministry of Education,” a source emphasized.

“This is a movement that includes the ministries of Health, Internal Affairs, Public Works, and even LISGIS and the CSA itself.

The looming protest comes at the time when the country is still recovering from economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global inflation, and rising commodity prices.