At Maritime Union, Labor Congress Fuels Corruption
Sierra Express Media (SEM) has discovered that internal rift continues upsetting members of the Maritime Union at Water Quay as a result of the failure of officials of the Sierra Leone Labor Congress to demonstrate neutrality in settling dispute among disgruntled and helpless trade unionists.
After the death of the late President of the union, Abu Kargbo, majority of union members decided on a season unionist, Kekura Kargbo to head the union but the motion was not embraced by few group of union members who described themselves as supporters of a former Insurance Broker, Mr. Sorgor with the backing of some corrupt officials of the congress who never allowed democracy to display. They felt threatened with the presence Kekura Kargbo who is not only known for his competency but he is a man that never comprises issues of development.
Sometimes in 2015, a meeting was held at the Labor Congress office on Wallace Johnson Street where Kekura Kargbo was selected to serve President of the union under the full supervision of officials of the SLLC who endorsed the selection of Kargbo but supporters of Sorgor who were the minority distanced themselves from the whole exercise with claim that Sorgor is their own President.
As a result, the process was nullified by the Congress on the grounds that in any democratic society, both sides should be listened to because they have right to take decision too.
Because of the purported principles of democracy, Kargbo’s Presidency was invalidated and the union then operated by an interim body that was headed by the former Vice President of Labor Congress, Korthor Kai until an election or delegate conference was held.
But what is most disheartening and unsatisfactory among disappointed supporters of Kekura Kargbo who formed majority of the union is that, by early 2017, Sorgor was endorsed by officials of the Congress as President of the union even though majority of Kargbo’s supporters revolted against the action of the SLLC in appointing Sorgor without their consent, they went forth and installed him in the office. Is that the way democracy works?.
Currently many active members have abandoned the union because according to majority of them this medium spoke with said the present administration is not competent enough to advocate for the welfare of workers who have gone for years without salary while rejected President Kargbo is busy preparing to establish his own union soon because he don’t want to go in to continuous fight with either officials of the congress who he described as his Bosses or supporters of the former Insurance Broker, Mr. Sorgor.
By Abdulai Mento Kamara
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