LIBERIA – The agency of the Liberian Government responsible to propagate policies of the government, is engulfed in crisis over low salaries and poor working conditions.
Early today, employees of the ministry of information culture and tourism, protested in the courtyard of the ministry over low salaries and poor working conditions.
Striking workers said some employees are making as low as 45 USD as salaries.
One employee who spoke with Smart News today on condition of anonymity said over nine employees at MICAT are receiving less than US$91.50 per whole month while their ministers receive thousands of United States Dollars.
For instance, he said, Minister Ledgerhood Rennie alone is receiving US$5,826 and Deputy Ministers allegedly get US$4,343.80 respectively as salaries monthly.
A lot of the employees said they will down their tools until at such times government addresses their concerns.
A Deputy Minister at the Ministry, Boakai Fofana said the issue at the ministry has to do with not being captured in the harmonization process of government.
Fofana stated that about 20 employees in the ministry fall within this category.
Fofana told a local radio that the lowest a civil servant receives under the harmonization process of the government should be not less than 150USD, but added that some of the staff members at MICAT were not captured during the harmonization process.
He however stated that efforts are being made to remedy the problem. Fofana says the ministry empathizes with those affected. He did not speak about the poor working conditions of employees.