Some workers at Cuttington University have entered their second day of protest on the Suakoko campus demanding the administration of the university president Dr. Hermon Browne to pay eight months salaries allegedly owed them.
The protesters say Cuttington University administration has for the past eight months allegedly refused to pay their salaries and other benefits which are their entitlements, placing them in serious financial constraints and undermining their abilities to take care of their families.
The aggrieved employees were seen holding placards with inscriptions: “We need our salaries now; No salaries no school,” among others.
According to them, the school has not paid them since February of this year and that the situation has undermined their daily activities in their various homes, especially as it relates to finding food and catering to other domestic affairs.
“Since I started working at Cuttington here, this is my first time to experience this. Imagine eight months no pay and we have not seen any signs of payment so we want to let the government and Cuttington know that if we can’t get our money, there will be no operation of the school,” Emmanuel Harris, one of the aggrieved workers says.
According to him, the university’s president Dr. Brown is living the best life and his children are eating on time, but he has abandoned the welfare of Workers of the institution which has left them in complete financial difficulties.
“If Dr. Brown doesn’t give our money, we will not leave from this gate. We will continue to sit here until our money is paid,” Mr. Harris concludes.
Also speaking, Papa Gaye, a driver at the school says if the school gives them five months salaries, they will accept it. However, he notes that if nothing is done, they will continue to disrupt the activities of the school.
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“Since he came here we hardly get what we work for, and it is very much disappointing that an educated man like him will want to abuse the Labor Law of our country in such manner,” he Gaye says.
Mr. Gaye maintains that the aggrieved protesters will remain resolute in their decision until Cuttington University administration adheres to their concerns.
He warns that failure on the part of the school authorities to meet up with this demand, they will engage into something else that will force the administrators to pay their money.
Meanwhile, Dr. Brown has welcomed the protest and asked the aggrieved staff to remain peaceful in the process.
“No sound minded person will keep working without pay, if I were not in this position that I am serving, myself would join you to protest because it’s a complete bad labor practice,” he says.
The CU president promises to reach Monrovia with the concern of the workers, hoping to return with their money.
By Joseph Titus Yekeryan in Bong County–Edited by Winston W. Parley
