On February 18, 2014, twenty-two members of the National Association of Health Workers of Liberia (NAHWAL) were dismissed. Their “crime” was organising a national strike demanding personal protective equipment for health workers at the fore of combating Ebola in the country. After huge public outcry, and the Liberian government’s implementation of the legitimate demands of the workers, 20 of these workers’ leaders were reinstated.
But, the state has refused to reinstate Comrades Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, National Chairperson and General Secretary of NAHWAL, respectively. Liberia has one of the worst labour relations regimes in the world. Public sector workers are barred from organising as trade unions. But this has not stopped workers such as those who are NAHWAL members from organising and fighting.
That is why their leaders are being made to face the ire of the state. The workers have been protesting on the 18th of every month since then. The Public Services International, which NAHWAL is affiliated to as a Global Union Federation has commenced a campaign for the reinstatement of Tamba and Williams with full benefits.
You can join this campaign online with the hashtag #SolidarityLiberia and sign the petitions on labourstart and world-psi.org. And quite importantly, on February 18, there will be demonstrations in front of the Liberian embassies and missions across the world. We urge all working class activists and trade unions in Nigeria to be part of this stand of solidarity in demanding that the Liberian state reinstates Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams NOW!
