By: Isatou Sarr
The staff members of Gamtel/Gamcel Wednesday raised serious concern over the delayed payment of their salaries and the general welfare of employees of the telecom outfit.
Addressing a press conference, Pierre Njie customer service representative read out a petition on behalf of his colleagues. He said they had submitted two petitions to the Gamtel/Gamcel management.
“We, the concerned staff of Gamtel/Gamcel, are raising serious concerns regarding the management and restructuring of Gamtel/Gamcel, these issues have significantly affected our livelihoods, including the delayed payment of salaries and the general welfare of employees,” Njie said.
“One major issue is the lack of transparency surrounding the actual amount approved by the World Bank for the staff social package,” he added.
He said according to Finance Minister Keita, the amount was 10 million dollars, while the Minister for Communication and Digital Economy claimed that it was 6.4 million dollars. According to Njie, another grave concern is the alleged disappearance of D13.4 million dalasis in staff contributions, which were deducted from their salaries but not paid into the Credit Union Account.
They called out for urgent action from relevant bodies and failure to respond adequately will leave them with no choice but to take legal action.
“We urge the authorities to provide clear communication and ensure that the entire $10 million approved by the World Bank is used exclusively for affected staff, we are aware that significant payments have been made to certain individuals who conducted sensitisation tours around the country concerning the restructuring,” Njie remarked.
The petition included other critical points such as: unavailable credit union deductions even after approaching the Labour Department, lack of medical insurance, which is essential during the restructuring period, denial of access to Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) information, poor sanitary conditions and insufficient cash power.
