Liberia Labor Office Orders Hospital to Pay Salary Arrears

The Ministry of Labour's office in Nimba County has ordered the administration of Ganta United Methodist Hospital to settle salary arrears owed to employees following an investigation that found some workers were being paid below Liberia's legally required minimum wage. Speaking to reporters on Monday, August 31, 2026, Nimba County Labour Commissioner Alexander Suomie said the hospital's salary structure was inconsistent with Liberia's labor laws and the Decent Work Act of 2015. Commissioner Suomie said an investigation conducted by the Labour Office established that some employees at the hospital were receiving salaries below the prescribed benchmark. "The salary at the noble hospital is below the minimum wage of US$143 monthly, and we are therefore ordering the administration that beginning September 2026, all employees should receive a minimum of US$143 monthly," Suomie said. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines He said the hospital has been given 30 days, from August 31 to September 30, 2026, to settle all outstanding salary arrears and bring its compensation structure into compliance with Liberia's labor laws and the Decent Work Act. "We are giving the hospital up to 30 days, beginning August 31, 2026, to September 30, 2026, to complete the payments of all arrears and ensure that the compensation structure is in compliance with labor law as well as the Decent Work Act," he said. When contacted by telephone on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the administrator of Ganta United Methodist Hospital, Jackson Zomoway, declined to comment on the matter. Zomoway said his lawyer had advised him to remain silent on the issue until the appropriate time. Ganta United Methodist Hospital is one of Nimba County's oldest faith-based medical facilities. The hospital was established in the 1920s by missionary physician Dr. George Way Harley and has played a significant role in providing healthcare services in the county for decades. The hospital has previously faced challenges relating to the timely payment of workers' salaries. About three years ago, delays in salary payments reportedly prompted medical workers to embark on a go-slow action to pressure management to address their concerns. In recent years, however, hospital management has pointed to improvements in its financial administration, particularly the timely payment of workers' salaries. Despite the reported improvement in payment schedules, concerns over the level of wages have continued to linger among some employees. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The latest intervention by the Labour Office has raised questions about why the hospital was singled out at this time, particularly as allegations of extremely low wages persist among other institutions and businesses across Nimba County. Several hotels, schools and private businesses have reportedly been accused of paying workers salaries below US$50 per month, although it remains unclear whether similar investigations have been conducted into those entities. The Labour Commissioner said the county Labour Office will monitor the hospital's compliance with the directive and continue enforcing national labor standards across Nimba County. Read the original article on Liberian Observer . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and