Best Practice Document on wage protection in Liberia (1) (3)

Protecting arbitrary salaries of Liberian workers

Decent work concerns both the salaries receive by employees, the nature of employability and the state of work bearing employee’s affluence and organization performance in Liberia. As of late, decent work environment and employment have changed fundamentally in numerous countries, with progress made and growing as a result of globalization, technological changes and mobility.

During the UN General Assembly in September 2015 on decent work, the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda was elevated, which includes – employment creation, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue, became dynamic fundamentals of the new 2030 Plan for Sustainable Development.However, there has been a developing acknowledgement that improving the nature of work is similarly a domineeringand objective approach.

Fast forward, the test of what sorts of solid strategic ingenuities in creating and improving the consistent reality for decent works still remains unclear in some institutions and organizations in Liberia; specifically, the public sector. In light of this test, the conditions of Work and Employment series are expected to offer new thoughts and bits of knowledge on improving working conditions in Liberia. It is likewise envisioned to animate discussions among policy makers in Liberia and social accomplices concerning how to more readily structure and execute strategies with the point of guaranteeing not too bad working conditions for all workers in the private and public sector.

In the same vain, on April 25, 2018, the Association of Liberia Human Resource Professionals (ALHRP) followed with palpable interests when the government of Liberia indicated several measures aimed at achieving the government’s Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity; including the arbitrary reduction of salaries for ministers and heads of autonomous agencies across the Executive Branch, with a 10% reduction across the board for all Cabinet Ministers. The decision of the Cabinet was applied to civil and public servants who earn above USD1, 000.00; with implementation in effect as of May 2018 Payroll. We acknowledge the intent to identify “means to support the national developmental agenda of the government gears towards impacting the lives of the poor people, in ensuring that money is saved“. In an attempt professional support, ALHRP raised the red flag that the existing legal instruments governing employees in the public and private sectors, as well as other effects the implementation of this decision, potentially violated of Chapter 18 of the constitution of Liberia, the DWA, the CSA and key portion of the ILO provisions on wage protection.