Monrovia, Liberia: Montserrado County District #3 Representative Sumo Mulbah has called on members of the House of Representatives and the Government of Liberia to support ongoing efforts to amend the 2015 Decent Work Act, specifically its wage provisions, to ensure fairer salaries and better living conditions for Liberian workers.
In an open letter released this week, Rep. Mulbah said the proposed amendment targeting Chapter 16.1 of the law seeks to align the country’s minimum wage structure with current economic realities. The changes, he explained, are designed to address growing salary disparities and introduce a gradual increase in wages for private-sector employees.
“The Decent Work Act was created to protect workers and promote fair labor standards,” Rep. Mulbah noted. “But ten years later, many workers are still earning wages that cannot sustain them or their families.”
According to the lawmaker, while the Act originally established a Minimum Wage Board to review and set fair wage standards based on the cost of living and economic growth, the Board has failed to effectively implement its mandate over the past decade. As a result, he said, wages have stagnated even as commodity prices and living costs continue to rise.
Rep. Mulbah’s proposed amendment would introduce stronger compliance mechanisms to hold employers accountable and ensure salary adjustments are implemented in phases preventing economic shocks while improving worker welfare.
He also criticized some public-sector employees who operate private businesses yet refuse to pay their own workers fair wages, calling this a form of hypocrisy that undermines national labor reform efforts.
During recent visits to building material stores and supermarkets across Monrovia, the lawmaker reported receiving overwhelming public support for the proposal. Many workers, he said, view the wage amendment as a long-overdue measure to help them meet basic needs amid economic hardship.
Rep. Mulbah emphasized that the reform will be gradual and flexible, with room for further review as the national economy strengthens.
“Our goal is not to cripple businesses, but to create a fair balance between labor and management,” he stated. “Lawmakers must put the interests of Liberian workers first. The nation is watching.”
If passed, the amendment would mark a significant update to Liberia’s primary labor law—potentially benefiting thousands of workers whose wages have remained stagnant since the Decent Work Act came into force in 2015. By: Andrew B Weah, 0770637216/0886429103, andrewbweah@gmail.com
