-Over Delay of LRD$1,500.00 Salary And Others, Kings FM Concerned Workers’ Cup Runs Over
By Esau J. Farr
When the final results of the December 26, 2017 Presidential Run-off Election were announced in late December 2017, workers of the soccer icon of Liberia and then Senator of Montserrado County (George Manneh Weah) were perhaps the happiest media practitioners in Liberia as their Sponsor and CEO was announced winner of the contest.
But there is an adage that says “There is a contrast between expectation and result,”.
That is exactly what has now happened to workers of the Soccer Legend’s radio and TV stations (King’s FM, City FM and Clar TV).
Concerned workers of the now President’s Station say they have issued a 72-hour ultimatum (three days) to the management of the Royal Communications Incorporated to address concerns of the workers or be prepared for an indefinite strike action to be staged by workers both at the home of President George M. Weah and his Foreign Affairs Office on Capitol Hill.
In an interview on the basis of anonymity with some concerned workers of the station, the journalists said they are being paid LRD1, 500.00 by the President’s station as an irregular monthly salary in the midst of unbearable economic hardship.
The concerned Royal Communications Inc workers are amongst other things calling on the management of the station to address a five-count concern sent to it in a communication dated July 3, 2018, a copy which is in the possession of this paper.
The counts include, salary increment, better working environment, a proper manager instead of Acting Manager, equipment and identification (ID) cards for workers.
“We have had so many meetings with you and the past acting managers and our plights were made clear, but up to now there is no redress, now George Weah has become President and we are still the same making one thousand five hundred Liberian (LD$1,500) Dollars and as for this month we are not accepting one thousand five hundred Liberian Dollars (LD$1,500),” a portion of the communication to the management reads.
The communication addressed to one Martin Tweh as Acting Manager further informed him about a planned immediate protest to be staged by the concerned workers if their issues were not amicably and properly addressed and resolved.
The concerned workers in a rather sad and mournful tone narrated that they are given access to newsmakers and institutions at the mercy of media colleagues who know them through the special grace of God as some have worked for the entity for four to five years without a simple identification card despite repeated and countless requests made to past and present Acting Managers.
“Comrade and colleague, I can be ashamed to be referred to as ‘George Weah’s Journalist’ when I don’t even resemble an interior community journalist,” one of the concerned workers sadly told New Republic Newspaper while nodding his head in regret and disappointment.
The planned protest is coming few days after concerned workers of the T-5 Radio station owned and operated by Montserrado county District #5 Representative and House’s Committee Chairperson on Ways, Means, Finance, Budget and Public Accounts, Thomas P. Fallah.
The workers who recently spoke on anonymity told a local radio station that they were on a go-slow and that the station was off air as a result of the failure of the management of the station to address the concerns of the workers.
The concerned workers at the T-5 Radio Station are also alleging a monthly take home pay of LD$1,500.00 something they (concerned workers) described as unacceptable and unrealistic considering the economic situation in the country.
The station is reported to have lost several professional media practitioners as a result of alleged bad labor practices meted out against them over the years.
But in response to the T-5 radio station Manager and former Bong County District #5 Representative, Samuel Bondo denied the claims made by the workers challenging the workers to be men enough and reveal their identities.
Bondo claimed that those making the claims were either interns or volunteers and therefore did not have any claim against the management of the station.
He however confirmed that the station was off the air due to other technical problems and when they are resolved, the station will hit back on the airwaves.
The question that now rings on the minds of many is why will such high profile government officials will be caught in perceived human rights violation and bad labor practice.
As everything stands, many of the workers from the two stations have hinted this paper that some of them have worked for more than five years without any letter of employment something the concerned workers said the two managers hide behind to deny them benefits and employment status.
With these trench of events, one can safely say that the two leaders are being pictured as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who says “Do what I say, but don’t do what I do,”.
For a reporter to be given LD$1,500.00 as a take home pay that is not even regular coupled with lack of Identification (ID) Card in this contemporary world and time is seemed as a wicked and bad as equals a believer who slips from Heaven to Hell.
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