By Kebba Secka
Four former laborers of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) on Monday 22nd July 2019, walked into the ‘Foroyaa’ office alleging unfair sacking by the Management of the KMC.
Yusupha Jammeh and Kebba Ceesay told this reporter that they are among the longest-serving laborers at the KMC. The complainants who said they work as tradesmen in the fields of masonry, carpentry and mechanics among others, narrated that most of the infrastructural development of the KMC was done by them.
“The KMC contracts our services for most of the construction works because of our skills,” said Landing Badjie. Asked the reason for the termination of their services, the complainants said earlier in June this year, the Management of the KMC decided to redeploy them to the Environment and Sanitation Unit of the KMC as garbage collectors and to carry out any other work assigned to them by their supervisors; that this did not go down well with them because they have not done this type of work before and has never been their designated area of work; that because of this, they protested by refusing to be redeployed as garbage collectors.
According to them, their refusal to be redeployed as garbage collectors resulted in being issued notice of termination of their services dated 18th July 2019. ‘‘The KMC has not been fair to us ever since. From the beginning, we had to struggle to get our employment letters from them by taking the matter to the office of the Ombudsman,’’ said Madi Sabally; that several effort was made before they become staff of the KMC in order to benefit from all their dues when they retire; but that all efforts proved futile. They told this reporter that they are now in dilemma as the Tobaski feast greets them unemployed.
This reporter saw their letters of redeployment and service termination signed by the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the KMC.
When visited by this reporter on Tuesday 23rd July 2019 to shed light on the reasons behind their sacking, Acting CEO of the KMC declined to comment without being told the names of the complainants; that since the reporter cannot tell him the names of the complainants, he would not be in a position to shed light on the issue.
Meanwhile earlier, the CEO told this reporter that he should not record their conversation. He however later changed his mind to allow the reporter to write some of their conversations. When asked to explain the redeployment and subsequent sacking of the laborers, the CEO said they are not official staff members of the KMC and they can be redeployed to any area where their employer chooses; that when they were redeployed, some complied while others refused and failed to report to work for nearly a month; that this led to their sacking. He said he would not like to detail further on the reasons and other questions regarding the termination of their services to the press.
