Gbarnga -The Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr. has ended an indoor meeting with the administration and faculty of Bong County Technical College (BCTC) in Gbarnga, describing the engagement as productive and forward-moving.
Dr. Joekai revealed that the discussions with BCTC’s administration and Faculty early Wednesday morning centered on long-standing human resource issues, recent achievements, and concerns involving the college’s faculty.
A release from the Bong County Technical College quotes the CSA boss as saying he satisfied over the return of lecturers to the classroom after a period of tension involving members of the Rural Universities and Colleges Faculty Association of Liberia.
According to him, representatives of the association, including the Vice President of the body, participated in the meeting and acknowledged the need for improved engagement with the Civil Service Agency.
The CSA boss and Board Chairman of the President Young Professionals Program narrated that the association admitted to lapses in communication, including taking grievances to the wrong channels instead of engaging the CSA.
Dr. Joekai emphasized that the government remains committed to improving the welfare of civil servants through fair compensation and expanding the national payroll noting that no civil servant currently earns below US$150.00 on the government payroll.
He further that the government has recently placed 829 volunteer health workers and 1,306 volunteer teachers on the payroll, adding that more are being processed as allocations from the Ministry of Finance allow.Recently, lecturers from the Rural Universities and Colleges Faculty Association stage a protest on allegations of being removed from the government payroll.
Clarifying on the matter, Dr. Josiah Joekai reiterated that no instructor was arbitrarily removed but noted that the civil service operates under strict regulations regarding employee attendance adding that attendance reports are submitted every Monday by human resource officers, and penalties are enforced according to established standing orders.
”Under these regulations, an employee who abandons their job for 14 consecutive days without approval is considered to have resigned. Others who miss work for three or four days face salary deductions in line with civil service rules.” He added.
