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Solidarity with Liberia

Although Liberia has ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and the Liberian constitution guarantees the right to freedom of association, the right to organise is not recognised in the public sector and unions and associations are confronted with continuous anti-union behaviour from the government.

In 2014, the government fired health workers who were on the front lines of the fight against Ebola, simply because they were trying to ensure adequate protection and working conditions for public workers. Other unions have been denied registration, and union leaders and activists are regularly dismissed, displaced to faraway regions, denied their salaries, and intimidated.

PSI has been campaigning for the reinstatement of Joseph Tamba and George Poe Williams of NAHWAL and for the respect of trade union rights in Liberia. In 2016, NAHWAL – together with PSI, ITUC, UNISON, SEIU – filed a complaint with the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.

PSI commiserates with WHO on the killing of Epidemiologist fighting Ebola

25 April 2019

19 April was a bad Friday, as Dr Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, a Cameroonian epidemiologist working with the World Health Organization was killed by armed militants in civilian clothing, at the Butembo University Hospital, in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Liberia: a broken health system needs emergency care

20 March 2018
George Poe Williams

In a discussion with PSI, George Poe Williams, General Secretary of NAHWUL, Liberia, expressed his heartfelt frustration at the situation in the country, but also his hope for the future with the new government of President George Weah who recently met with the health sector unions, as earlier reported by PSI. Here are some extracts from the discussion.

Liberia: Trade unions and CSOs moving forward together

14 August 2017
Workshop on Tax Justice in Liberia

The PSI Ebola Response Strategy, focusing on argumentation, networking and lobby work, is almost coming to an end, and the participating unions are still as active as ever. In Liberia, where the PSI affiliates set up a wide collaboration between trade unions and civil society organisations, the Project Management Committee (PMC) with representatives of NAHWAL, NTUPAW, CTIL, CSA and HRM organised two workshops to boost the expertise and means of action of the broad network.

Privatisation puts Liberian education system at risk : New Report

02 August 2017

Unions and civil society organisations have warned about the devastating effects of the privatisation of education on both students and teachers during the launch of a new study on Liberia’s PSL project.

Liberia: building a resilient health service on a fragile infrastructure

14 March 2017
George Poe Williams, General secretary of NAHWAL, Liberia

At the end of the Ebola crisis in the Mano River Basin, the Liberian government declared its commitment to building a resilient health care delivery system. However, the Liberian government left the same management in place and, unsurprisingly, working conditions for health workers have not improved.

Zero Discrimination Day: Make Some Noise – and ACT to Realise the Right to Health

01 March 2017

PSI and its affiliates in the health sector across the world joined in marking March 1, as global Zero Discrimination Day. The day has been set aside since 2014 to raise awareness on the need to roll back all forms of discrimination in access to health services, particularly for persons living with HIV.

In New York, PSI affiliate 1199SEIU delivers letter to the Ambassador of Liberia to the US

20 February 2017

On February 17, joining the worldwide protests for the reinstatement of health workers Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, President and General Secretary of NAHWAL, respectively, Maria Castaneda on behalf of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East delivered a letter to the Ambassador Jeremiah C. Suluneth.

Respect the right to organise - Reinstate Liberian trade union leaders NOW!

06 October 2016

The Liberian regime has no respect for basic Human Rights; or Workers Rights!



In Liberia, the government has arbitrarily fired health workers who were on the front lines of the fight against Ebola; simply because they were trying to ensure adequate protection and working conditions for public workers. Before you consider traveling to or investing in Liberia, think about whether you really want to support a regime which treats health heroes as disposable goods.



Learn more about how to stand up for the rights of Liberian workers by watching the video above and signing the petition below!

Video: Liberia Healthcare workers - the unsung Ebola fighters

07 September 2017

Watch this series of five videos by PSI on how the Ebola crisis unveiled structural problems in the Liberian Health System. How the bad working conditions such as voluntary work, lack of protective equipment, lack of insurance and decent pay, caused unproportioned amounts of deaths under the health workers, causing a lack of health staff in the country. More information on our #SolidarityLiberia page.

Liberia: Ebola kills, the State fires

12 January 2017

RadioArticolo1, the radio for CGIL, Italy, has interviewed George Poe Williams from Liberia, NAHWAL General Secretary. George was arbitrarily dismissed in 2014 for calling for better working conditions and protective equipment during the Ebola crisis.

Audio: RadioLabour interview with NAHWAL leaders

18 October 2016

In 2014, at the height of the Ebola crisis, the Liberian government fired 22 union leaders. It still has not reinstated two of the fired leaders: Joseph Tamba, the president of the National Health Workers' Association of Liberia and George Poe Williams, the General Secretary . A RadioLabour interview with Mr Williams.