Gamcel Staff Demand Timely Payment of Salaries, Improved Working Conditions 

By Nelson Manneh & Kemeseng Sanneh

Concerned Gamcel staff have handed a petition to Mr. Lamin Tunkara, the Managing Director of Gamcel, yesterday Monday, 20th January 2025, demanding timely payment of salaries and other benefits. 

As the state’s only GSM Company, the concerned staff assembled at the premises of Gamcel to protest against the multiple delay in the payment of staff salaries since September 2022. They said salaries which were due to be paid to staff at the end of April 2024, were paid on 23^rd May 2024. 

The petition was handed over directly to the Manager because the distressed employees said they will not hand over their petition to any other senior staff of the institution except the General Manager.   

After receiving the petition, MD Tunkara told the media that the management of Gamcel will sit with some members of the concerned employees and discuss the content together. 

“We cannot sit with all the concerned employees but we will allow them to identify a few people from their ranks, and we will sit with them and discuss their concerns,” Tunkara said. 

The petition handed over to MD Tunkara read as follows: 

“We, the undersigned concerned staff of Gamcel, have been dissatisfied with Gamcel Management’s handling of staff affairs for over two years now. This all commenced some seven years ago since the billing system has been ineffective and monopolised, causing significant problems in service delivery and revenue generation, ultimately affecting staff and customer service.’’ 

‘‘Since September 2022, there have been multiple delays in the payment of staff salaries. Salaries due to staff at the end of April 2024 were paid on 23^rd May 2024. In pursuance of the need to urgently address this issue, we the undersigned staff demand that Gamcel Management take urgent steps within the reasonable timelines outlined below, to address the following: 

1. Salaries due for the end of December 2024 are still not paid. We demand that this be paid immediately and within a week at the latest; 
2. staff are being deducted Credit Union payments but have not been able to access them for over two years now. We demand that these payments be reconciled and information provided on how to access them when needed within the next three weeks; 
3. c) staff medical insurance has been stopped for almost three years without any explanation. We demand a written explanation and its immediate resumption within three weeks; d) Staff Social Security information has not been accessible to staff who have lodged enquiries to the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC). We demand an explanation on why we cannot access this information and we call for immediate access to this information either from SSHFC or Gamcel within two weeks; 

e) Staff personal income taxes are being deducted but it appears that they are not paid, which is affecting staff from accessing other services such as clearance for vehicles, etc. We demand an explanation on where these deductions are being paid and for all outstanding payments to be deposited in the appropriate accounts so that staff can access other services; 

f) An explanation of this is required within a week, and all payments are to be regularised within three weeks; 

g) Across many cell sites, there is no sanitary provision for staff, and in many other cell sites, there are very poor sanitary conditions. Staff are required to spend long working hours within these sites and must be provided access to adequate and clean sanitary conditions. We demand that this be addressed within the next month for sites with poor sanitary conditions and within the next three months for sites without any sanitary provisions. 

h) Poor communication on the closure of outlets has caused challenges for staff and customers. We demand improved communication on such closures from now on; 

i) Insufficient and unpaid cash power at cell sites, poor maintenance leading to worn-out parts, lack of investment and lack of mobility, have affected the smooth delivery of services. We demand the provision of sufficient investment in required parts and the provision of sufficient mobility for maintenance staff to be able to carry out their duties. 

‘‘We assert our rights to voice our concern to management and call on management not to engage in any retributive action against staff for raising genuine concerns, including but not limited to this petition. 

‘‘All this has created a demoralised and demotivated staff at Gamcel, ultimately affecting service delivery to the required satisfactory standards. The effective date of submission is 20^th January 2025. Demands for two weeks will conclude on 3^rd February 2025, and demands for three weeks will conclude on 10^th February 2025.”

The petition was copied to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the Department of Labour, Office of the Ombudsman, National Human Rights Commission, the Gambia National Assembly, Office of the President and the Association of non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO).