—–As SEGAL Rubbishes Claim of Unfair Labor Practice

IPNEWS: A scheduled Legislative inquiry into claims of inhumane and bad labor practice against the Management of the Security Expert Guard Agency of Liberia (SEGAL), owned by national security expert Momo Cyrus failed to attain tangible essence.

Earlier, Grand Bassa County Electoral District No. 3, Representative Matthew Joe, had invited the management of SEGAL to appear before him Monday, July 11, 2022, to address their concerns over salary delay and find an amicable resolution to the salary delay.

In a communication dated July 7, 2022, Representative Matthew Joe, stated that he had received a communication from some concerned officers of SEGAL alleging delays in payment of salaries for the last two months, among others.

Representative Joe also pointed out that the concerned officers’ communication also claimed that contrary to an earlier pronouncement by SEGAL’s chief Executive officers that each officer was receiving USD 380.00, they were taking a monthly salary of USD 155, including alleged comments of benefits to children of the concern SEGAL Officer, and demanded further inquiry.

Prior to this scheduled inquiry, media outlets in Grand Bassa County had earlier publicized the Legislative invitation over the alleged inhumane treatment and bad labor practices by SEGAL.

Minutes into the hurriedly arrange meeting chaired by Representative Matthew Joe, a spokesman of Representative Joe told IPNEWS that the meeting was held however there was no member of the concerned SEGAL officer alleging salary delay, nor a representation from ArcelorMittal Liberia present.

When quizzed why none of them were invited to the meeting except SEGAL whence the communication stated that the meeting was a Legislative inquiry, and the national security nature of the matter, especially the protection of a major concession without members of the concession, Representative Matthew Joe spokesman only identified as Emmanuel responded that the decision not to invite them all was based on the description by the office of the Grand Bassa District No. 3 Representative Matthew Joe.

On the issue of why the district Representative is not referring the Labor matter to the Ministry of Labour, Emmanuel stated that Representative Matthew Joe is acting on his ‘oversight’, role given that the matter occurred within the district of the Representative.

Contrary to this assertion, the Liberian public governance act, the Ministry of Labor is responsible for the promotion, administration, development, regulation, and control of labor law and practices in Liberia. Its function is to promote and arrange for the provision of labour welfare. to prevent and resolve conflicts, labour disputes, and industrial unrest. to develop the information system on labour protection and welfare and to formulate and coordinate the Department’s action plans to be in line with the Ministry’s policy and strategy.

The Liberian Legislative code states that Legislative oversight refers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, and policy implementation, and it provides the legislative branch with an opportunity to inspect, examine, review and check the executive branch and its agencies.

The primary goals of Legislative oversight are to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and to protect civil liberties and individual rights by ensuring that the executive branch complies with the laws and the Constitution.

Political pundits view the quenched Legislative inquiry as a political plan to dispossess SEGAL off the ArcelorMittal Liberia Security contract.

In a communication obtained dated July 7, 2022, and addressed to ArcelorMittal Security Manager, Carlos Railey, SEGAL Chief Executive Officer, Momo Cyrus, dismissed claims by the invisible- concern SEGAL officer that any official of SEGAL or him appear on any national or local radio station to inform the public that SEGAL is paying each guard personnel three hundred and eighty United States dollars (US$380.00), providing a medical insurance package for guards’ dependents (two/2) plus two/2 sacks of mineral water monthly.

Cyrus stated that SEGAL takes the claim seriously and would like to throw a challenge to the concerned officers to come forward with the date and time of the revelation.

“The radio station in question and the recording of the information. If they fail to adduce the evidence, we will be constrained to launch an investigation into the matter, unmask the complainants, hold them for Spreading malicious gossip and/or rumors; engaging in behavior that creates discord and lack of harmony between the employer and employees and penalizes them for unbecoming conduct of guard personnel which is a violation of SEGAL Employees Handbook.” SEGAL CEO Momo Cyrus stated.

On the allegation of salary delay, SEGAL CEO stated that claims by the Concerned SEGAL Officers in their July 4, 2022, letter that SEGAL did not pay them salaries for over two (2) months were untrue as SEGAL, is a responsible private security Company, that maintains a definite pay schedule.

Momo Cyrus: “We pay out salaries and/or wages on a monthly basis commencing from the eighth day to the sixteenth day of the succeeding month through an individual banking account, provided that the particular client the employee is assigned to has made a full settlement of his/her monthly service charge.”

“Our client, ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML) has failed to live up to her contractual obligation by delaying SEGAL payments from November 2021 to June 2022.”

“The Concerned SEGAL Officers ought to know that our revenue is 100% client driven. Though we have an obligation to pay them their just salaries, we at times find it difficult to do so because AML continues to owe us such a huge amount of money. Sometimes we do an overdraft so as to motivate our guards by having them paid on time, the relevant bank charges, and interest are high and oftentimes send us into deficit. We only hope that AML will improve her paying system to ensure that we do not owe our guard personnel for not even a month to settle their salaries.”

With respect to the rain gear grievance expressed by the Concerned SEGAL Officers, SEGAL C.E.O. further attributed the delay in issuance to ArcelorMittal’s delay of the new contract signing and the procurement of rain materials from overseas which is a huge investment that SEGAL finds difficult to venture into without contract guarantee.

Mr. Momo Cyrus maintains that SEGAL is a serviceable business institution to which the security and future is to protect religiously its clients and associated properties regardless of the delay has procured from China huge quantity of good quality rain materials for use by SEGAL guard personnel and distribution is being well planned.

“We recognize the importance of our guard personnel, and to keep them motivated; we equally anticipate that they will exercise due respect for the reputation of the Company.” SEGAL Momo Cyrus concluded.