Plans to Downsize Thousands of Civil Servant Workers Backfires

Liberian Civil servants placed under the non-essential staff category are expected to be downsized but will receive a total severance pay (1.5 Monthly salary with an addition of two years’ salary (LD) will be added to the severance payment plus a “thank you” package, based on tenure of the employee. The whole will be divided into 24 equal payments, the document states.

The plenary of the Liberian Senate has resolved to invite before that august body the Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), George Werner to provide detailed information about the Executive plan of action to downsize several civil servants who were made to take compulsory leave as a result of the Ebola outbreak.

Some Liberians are arguing that the action of CSA is wrong since the employees were made to stay home based on a national disaster. Besides, others also hold the view that at the moment, the Government of Liberia is not operating at full capacity, thereby necessitating non-essential staff and when the Ebola situation is under control with all sectors functional, staff on leave will be needed to work.

Downsizing processes by the regime of president Sirleaf in the past have heeded no fruitful result. Upon assuming office president Sirleaf promised a small but effective workforce, which led to downsizing at several ministries and agencies. In the first six years of Sirleaf’s administration the size of government increased despite the downsizing process.

More than 10 new agencies and other functionaries of government were created, including the Land Commission, Law Reform Commission, all employing thereby increasing the size of government.

Meanwhile, the plenary of the Liberian Senate has resolved to invite before that august body the Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), George Werner to provide detailed information about the Executive plan of action to downsize several civil servants who were made to take compulsory leave as a result of the Ebola outbreak.

The Senate decision is predicated upon a communication written by Senators Geraldine Doe-Sheriff (formerly of the CDC, Montserrado County) and George Tengbeh (UP- Lofa County) requesting the body to invite the CSA Director to explain the planned action by government.

In the two lawmakers’ communication to the August body, they stated that staff of various line Ministries and Agencies were placed under the category of non-essential staff and told to remain home due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus, a decision according to the president would decongest government offices and help in breaking the chain of transmission by preventing the spread of the virus.

Senators Tengbeh and Doe-sheriff stated: “presiding and distinguished members of the Senate we request your indulgence to accept our request to invite to this plenary the Director General of the CSA to give reasons for the plan of action by the executive”. The Senator’s communication was accepted by plenary through a motion filed by Senator John Ballout of Maryland County and seconded by his colleague, Dan Morais from the same County.

Though an official communication hasn’t been served the Legislature by the executive outlining the planned downsizing process by the CSA, the communication from the two senators referenced a communication dated October 2, 2014 to the legislature inviting the Internal Reform Committee of the legislature to a workshop to lay out procedures for the implementation of the recent decision taken by the cabinet and endorsed by the President to downsize civil servants.

The CSA is claiming that service delivery at the Civil Service Agency (and other institutions) are continuing without interruption, even in the absence of non-essential staff. The decision according to the Agency in a document is a result of a diligent work by the CSA on a reform of the civil service under the public modernization project which is intended to optimize and “rightsize” the government workforce.

“It has therefore been substantiated, that many of the employees occupying positions which are not necessary to carry out the institution’s mandate and functions. This situation opens up the possibility of permanently eliminating non-essential employees and the positions they occupy and put in place employees who can contribute to the mandate of the institution,” the CSA document states.

The document also states that the Civil service Agency got its reliance from the CSA Act, section 66.5, section3.1.1 which gives authority to the Director General to institute the necessary reform in the CSA.