August 27, 2021
By: Ilyasa Baa
Having been slammed a twenty-one days ultimatum for three months backlogs, the management of Sierratel is working on the payment of one month salary to workers who are threatening to go on strike if their demands are not met.
The issues raised by the aggrieved workers are that for one year their NASSIT contributions have not been paid, no leave allowances and that they have worked for three months without salary.
Secretary General, Sierra Leone Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees, Edward Y. Kamara said several meetings have been held in respect of their demands with the management as well as the Ministry of Information and Communications. He said the workers are grumbling over economic hardship due to the lack of salary.
Acting Director of Information at the Ministry of Information and Communications, Emmanuel Turay has reacted that Sierratel is going through reformation noting that the issues raised by the workers would be looked into accordingly. He called on the workers to exercise restraint.
The slamming of the ultimatum on Tuesday has been welcome by some members of the public who described Sierratel as ineffective as a state institution which should have been taking the lead in the telecom industry of the country. Its products such as the CDMA phones are no more functioning due to poor management. It is believed that privatization the entity would solve the problem.