Monrovia — Scores of aggrieved employees of the Liberian Senate on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the Capitol Building, demanding that the leadership of Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence standardize their salaries in line with other public employees across government ministries, agencies, and corporations.
The protesting staffers stormed the offices of several senators, disrupting normal legislative business, including deliberations on the draft national budget and other scheduled hearings.
Chanting slogans such as "No Hearing, No Sitting," the aggrieved workers--largely from Central Administration and the personal support staff of lawmakers--complained of what they described as longstanding salary disparities at the National Legislature.
They argued that while civil servants in other public institutions earn significantly higher wages, Senate staff continue to receive salaries that no longer match the country's harsh economic realities.
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Addressing legislative reporters on the grounds of the Capitol Building, the staffers' spokesperson, Roosevelt Tulay, said there has been no salary increment for Senate staff since the departure of the Armah Jallah-led Senate leadership in 2015.
According to Tulay, the Senate's annual budget has consistently increased over the years, yet staff salaries have remained stagnant.
"We are disappointed and disenchanted. We, the staffers of the Liberian Senate, have been marginalized by our bosses," Tulay said. "There has not been even a dime increment in our salaries since 2015. Every budget year, the Senate's budget increases; there is no record of it ever declining."
He disclosed that the approved Senate budget stood at US$14,635,051, while the proposed allocation for Fiscal Year 2026 has risen to US$16,440,876--an increase of nearly US$1.5 million.
Despite the increase, Tulay said nothing has been added to staff salaries. He explained that only US$2,707,178 is allocated for Central Administration staff salaries, while personal or support staff of senators account for US$1,550,000 in the draft budget.
In contrast, Tulay noted that salaries for the 30 senators exceed US$3 million, surpassing the combined salaries of staffers across multiple categories.
"While it is true that you are our bosses, we have come not to request but to respectfully demand an increment in our budget," he said.
Tulay emphasized that the Senate leadership must increase and standardize staff salaries in keeping with the Remuneration and Standardization Act of 2019.
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He added that repeated closed-door negotiations and dialogue with Senate leadership have failed to produce results, leaving staffers increasingly frustrated.
"We will not hesitate to take the Liberian Senate to court if the law is not implemented and our salaries are not increased," Tulay warned.
He further revealed that despite the Senate hiring two professionals--a human resource consultant and a financial consultant--their report recommending salary adjustments has not been implemented.
Additionally, Tulay said a report by a Technical Working Group comprising Senate staff, established by the Committee on Rules, Order and Administration chaired by Senator Gbleh-bo Brown of Maryland County, has also been ignored.
"Some senators develop high blood pressure anytime salary increment is mentioned," Tulay remarked. "We are Liberians. The marginalization is too much. There are people working for as little as US$180, washing bathrooms. This is unacceptable. We hope to benefit from this US$1.2 million draft budget--the highest in the country's history."
He warned that Senate staff would resort to sustained civil disobedience if their concerns remain unaddressed.
The protest drew the attention of Senators Samuel Kogar (Nimba County), Nathaniel McGill (Margibi County), and Simeon Taylor (Grand Cape Mount County).
The senators urged the staffers to remain calm and return to work, assuring them that their concerns had been discussed by Senate leadership. However, they stopped short of guaranteeing salary standardization.
They also appealed to the protesters not to disrupt budget hearings and regular sittings, suggesting that the staffers' grievances could be addressed during legislative deliberations.
