Changes To Gambia's Working Hours Criticised

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Changes To Gambia's Working Hours Criticised

Monday, 28 January 2013 16:14

(JollofNews) – Proposed changes to official government working hours and days in the Gambia has been criticised today by the country's worker's union.

Under the proposed changes that are coming into force at the beginning of next month, the country's civil servants will work from Monday to Thursday from 8am to 6pm while Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be dedicated for prayers, social activities and agriculture.

The changes which were announced last week by the Office of the President were said to have been made after consultation with ministers and considerations to public demands.

Yahya Jammeh
However, the Gambia Workers Confederation (GWC) is calling on President Yahya Jammeh to reconsider the proposed changes in order not to kill the country’s standard social service hours and days of work.

In a letter to the media, the union's executive secretary, Pa Modou Faal said: "It is our belief that it is an impromptu executive order which needs a sober reflection and time for a change of this nature. The present five or six working days per week of eight hours a day are based on international standards that has been agreed, accepted and adopted by the world of work."

The union called on the Government of Mr Jammeh to set out a decent work country programme for workers in the country. It also called on the Government to hold discussions with its members before making any changes to their working hours and days.
Written by PK Jarju

Comments

0 #13 2013-02-27 18:05

Why was this proposal not put to a vote in parliament,sure ly people are following this fool back to the dark ages.

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+1 #12 2013-01-31 03:21

Look, I just read in the point that there should be no school on Friday

There are some who said this was a well thought out change. It is crazy to think like this..we are in trouble

I taught in both morning n afternoon shifts..The morning shifts has always had more teaching hours..Only yaya does not know this..

Thats why we teach on saturdays to make up for the hours...

I use to praise yaya 4 his support for education. Now, this yaya is seeing the writings on the wall. He wants to destroy everything b4 he goes down..

Gambians, we have to love each other..cus we will need to come together after jammeh is gone to rebuild. This man is taking down everything

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+2 #11 2013-01-29 18:11

Who speaks for the lost of income for street vendors, transport owners, businesses and many private enterprises that has fixed revenues and depends on Public servant consumption from Monday to Friday....now 'Monday to Thursday'...which clearly takes a 20% fixed revenue day from their likelihoods. Friday Businesses activities and income is blatantly taken away.. E,g a taxi ferrying civil servants does it twice a day....taking them to work and bring them back. Losing that economic activity on friday...means 20% lost of revenues since ...consumption of cinvil servant is static .e.g he/she travels twice daily to work, eats same pattern a day, spend the same pattern a day etc etc etc. Even a child can see the sickening and economic madness of such a crazy deed. Why will any take such a decision that clearly wipe-out 20% revenue of fixed support goods n services to civil servants? How do they compensate tat 20% back?

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+4 #10 2013-01-29 11:54

Quoting Scarlett Pimpernel:

If it goes unchallenged, then the next step will be that the Gambians will wake up one day and jammeh will be crowned king. The lobby is still going on and it's being spear headed by the chief stooge the paramount chief Demba Sanyang

Good observation!!I wonder why do we need a minister of presidentail affairs?Dictator jammeh is taking the steps and trying the Gambians with his decrees.If these decrees are not challenged,we will soon hear a decree that will crown the crocodile liberator jammeh as a crocodile king.The Gambian online newpapers should work with the opposition leaders and other groups to foster unity against the dictatorship in the Gambia.I don´t think we can clean these allegations or use the media(radios & Online newpapers)as courts to judge our people and the same time focus on unity against the dictatorship.It will be wiser to focus on dismantling the dictatorship so that we can provide a court of justice for all the suspects.

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+2 #9 2013-01-29 11:31

Quoting Bax:

This is also a good indication that people are not afraid to speak out against Jammeh's misrule,despite his reign of terror,and I hope people can muster enough courage to take the next step of open defiance.

Bax,surely this(open defiance) will soon happen if dictator jammeh and his bandits don`t change their behaviours.If dictator jammeh and his bandits continue to push the Gambians against the wall until there is no more space,then one day the people will turn against them(the bandits regime)to demand their rights.
It is dictator jammeh`s own behaviour that will make him lost power.

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+5 #8 2013-01-29 11:19

This is a real crime,a 419 and a scam by dictator jammeh and his bandits just like they try to devaluate the currency for some months back.
The Gambians were working 36 and half hours from Mon-Fri and now they will be working 40hrs from Mon-Thur,i.e they are now working 3 and half hours more in a week without any salary increase,(40hr-36.5hrs=3.5hrs more a week).
In one year the Gambians will be working 182 extra hours for dictator jammeh`s and his bandits without been paid,(52wks*3.5hrs=182hrs a year).
182 hours of a 4-day-week is exactly ONE MONTH,(182hrs divide by 40hrs=4.55wks or ONE MONTH) unpaid labour for dictator jammeh and his bandits.This is a crime.
How about weekends for students and teachers or students with working-parents whose families/relatives may leave far away,if they have to attend saturday classes?
Dictator jammeh and his bandits have no plan for the state and the people but only for their pockets and power.

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+4 #7 2013-01-29 09:11

I share your concerns for Mr Taal's safety...Knowing how intolerant Jammeh is to criticism of his stupid decisions,you can bet that they will go for Mr Taal on some trumped up charges,which may never come before any court...It's just a matter of when...

What this Workers' Union criticism confirm,is that serious NO CONSULTATIONS took place before this idiotic and most damaging decision was taken...How can workers be excluded from such "life changing" decisions that affect them and their families...There may be legal implications,wi th regards to workers' contracts,as Mike Scales has pointed out,and I hope the union seeks legal advice,to protect it's members...

This is also a good indication that people are not afraid to speak out against Jammeh's misrule,despite his reign of terror,and I hope people can muster enough courage to take the next step of open defiance...Let workers stay at home and demand a reversal of this decision...

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+5 #6 2013-01-29 02:54

This decision is sad 4 me on one level..

I was a teacher..we struggle to get all the kids out of the campus by 6:30pm..cus it starts to get really dark..n u really start to see some monkey business

U have to decide how long does morning shift stays n how long does afternoon stays..

Consider this sinerio 4 West African Exams Council.. Does it eliminated friday papers for Gambia..And if WAEC does, what does it tell Ghana, s/leone, etc..

Look, all these may be a bargain, if we start seeing some of our daughters/sisters getting pregnant cus they have one more excuse by Jammeh to stay in school till 10pm or 12 midnight..

I know from experience, l scaled the GHS fence a few times to go finish the rest of my school day by the beach side.. So go figure

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+4 #5 2013-01-29 01:47

The great Greek writer Euripides once said that “those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad”.

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+3 #4 2013-01-28 23:34

This is one of the ploys geared towards pushing for kingship. If it goes unchallenged, then the next step will be that the Gambians will wake up one day and jammeh will be crowned king. The lobby is still going on and it's being spear headed by the chief stooge the paramount chief Demba Sanyang.
But hey this is The Gambia and it will go through ;why? Because we are all selfish and have the this culture of " KENN DU MA YAHAL SUMA TERRANGA". Like the saying goes "LEKKA SA DOMODA NAAN SA ATTAYA",that's The Gambia !

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