By George S. Tengbeh
(Member, Adjunct Faculty Association of the University of Liberia; Environmental and Labour Justice Advocate)
Introduction
The University of Liberia (UL), as the nation’s premier higher learning institution, should embody excellence not only in knowledge dissemination but also in labor relations and respect for the rights of its academic workforce. Yet, the current struggle of adjunct faculty members exposes a profound injustice: the deliberate marginalization of lecturers who constitute the backbone of teaching at UL.
The past few days saw the University of Liberia Faculty Association make a press release, which announced their pending go-slow if their needs are not met. However, this go-slow action shows a distinction between workers and that ULFA is not in the interest of all workers. They have considered themselves as the supreme whitecollar workers, leaving the adjunct faculty or part-time workers to be the labourers without blood to survive.
It is alleged that on September 1, 2025, the Adjunct Faculty Association of the University of Liberia (AFA-UL) will issue a public statement distancing itself from the protest action announced by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA).
While ULFA highlighted important issues such as poor sanitary conditions, delayed promotions, and infrastructure decay, it conspicuously omitted the plight of adjuncts, many of whom have worked for over seven months without pay. This omission underscores not just administrative negligence but also a breach of solidarity and a violation of fundamental labor rights enshrined in both Liberia’s Decent Work Act and International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.
This article situates the adjunct faculty’s struggle within the frameworks of labor justice, solidarity, and human dignity, while critically examining the implications of ULFA’s exclusionary advocacy and the government’s neglect.
Adjuncts at UL: The Invisible Majority
Adjunct faculty make up a significant portion of UL’s teaching workforce. They are often the first academic contact for students, carrying heavy teaching loads with limited institutional support. Unlike tenured faculty, adjuncts lack job security, research opportunities, and adequate benefits.
The press release highlights a bitter truth: adjuncts are treated as “second-class academics”, a reality that contradicts the very principles of solidarity and collegiality in academia. ULFA’s failure to include unpaid adjunct salaries in its list of demands is emblematic of a divide-and-rule posture that fractures faculty unity and perpetuates injustice.
Such exclusion contravenes the principle of solidarity, a cornerstone of trade unionism and collective bargaining. Solidarity requires that all categories of workers, regardless of contract type, stand together in the struggle for better conditions. By sidelining adjunct concerns, ULFA has effectively abandoned the very spirit of collective action, thereby weakening the entire labor movement at UL.
Violations of the Decent Work Act of Liberia
The Decent Work Act (2015) was a milestone in Liberia’s labor reforms, designed to align national labor standards with international best practices. Several provisions of this Act are directly violated by the University of Liberia’s treatment of adjunct faculty:
- Section 15.5 – Timely Payment of Wages:
The law requires employers to pay wages regularly and without unjustified delay. Seven months without salary is not only a breach of contract but also a clear violation of this provision. - Section 9.2 – Equal Treatment:
The Act emphasizes non-discrimination and equal treatment of workers. By treating adjuncts as “expendable” while prioritizing full-time faculty, UL violates this section. - Section 4.1 – Right to Dignity at Work:
Work must be performed under conditions consistent with human dignity. Forcing lecturers to borrow money for transport, teaching materials, and family survival while working unpaid is degrading and inconsistent with this legal obligation. - Section 13.2 – Social Dialogue and Representation:
The law recognizes the right of workers to organize and to have their voices heard. ULFA’s refusal to incorporate adjunct demands undermines this principle of inclusive representation.
Ignoring these provisions means, both the UL administration and ULFA are complicit in violating Liberian labor law.
International Labour Organization Standards
Liberia is a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has ratified several conventions that protect workers’ rights. Key among them are:
- ILO Convention No. 95 (Protection of Wages, 1949): Mandates prompt and full payment of wages. UL’s seven-month delay in paying adjuncts constitutes a direct violation.
- ILO Convention No. 100 (Equal Remuneration, 1951): Requires equal treatment of workers performing work of equal value. The systematic underpayment and neglect of adjuncts compared to full-time faculty contradict this principle.
- ILO Convention No. 98 (Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, 1949): Protects workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. By marginalizing adjunct faculty in decision-making and advocacy, ULFA violates the spirit of this convention.
- ILO’s Decent Work Agenda: Stresses four pillars, employment creation, rights at work, social protection, and social dialogue. The adjuncts’ situation in Liberia fails on all four counts, exposing systemic neglect at both institutional and national levels.
Thus, the exploitation of adjunct faculty is not just a national issue but an international embarrassment for Liberia.
The Pain and Human Cost of Neglect
Beyond legal violations lies the human dimension of this crisis. For over seven months, adjunct faculty have been forced into a cycle of debt and humiliation:
- Transport: Many borrow money daily just to commute to lecture halls.
- Family Survival: Children are being sent home for unpaid school fees, undermining their right to education.
- Professional Integrity: Lecturers struggle to buy chalk, markers, and teaching materials, compromising classroom quality.
- Mental Health: Daily financial stress erodes morale and dignity, leading to burnout and frustration.
This suffering underscores that adjunct faculty are not “workers without blood,” as some derogatorily describe them, but human beings whose sacrifices keep the University of Liberia functioning.
Solidarity Betrayed: Why AFA-UL Distanced Itself
The decision of AFA-UL to distance itself from ULFA’s protest is not an act of division but one of principle. As the press release outlines, adjuncts refuse to be used as “foot soldiers in a struggle that does not value [their] humanity or contributions.”
Solidarity must be inclusive. Excluding adjuncts from ULFA’s agenda represents a betrayal of collective responsibility. True solidarity would have integrated adjunct demands as central to the faculty’s struggle, ensuring that no worker is left behind. Instead, ULFA perpetuates a hierarchy of labor rights, championing issues that benefit some while disregarding others.
This elitist approach weakens the broader fight for academic justice and undermines the unity needed to pressure the university administration and government.
Broader Implications for Education and Society
The neglect of adjunct faculty has far-reaching consequences beyond the university walls:
- Educational Quality: Without adjuncts, lecture halls would be empty, courses unstaffed, and student learning disrupted. Exploiting adjuncts erodes educational standards.
- Future of Liberia: Students are the nation’s future leaders. Neglecting their teachers is akin to sabotaging Liberia’s development.
- Erosion of Academic Morale: Continued marginalization creates resentment, divides faculty, and threatens the spirit of scholarship at UL.
- National Reputation: Liberia’s failure to uphold basic labor rights for university faculty undermines its international standing, particularly given its ILO commitments.
Path Forward: AFA-UL’s Independent Struggle
The Adjunct Faculty Association has resolved to pursue an independent, peaceful, and strategic path to justice. This includes:
- Engaging State Institutions: Petitioning the Ministry of Labour, Legislature, and other relevant bodies.
- International Solidarity: Collaborating with the ILO and global academic unions to amplify their plight.
- Media Advocacy: Raising awareness through press conferences, radio appearances, and publications.
- Peaceful Demonstrations: Mobilizing adjuncts and allies to demand timely payment and respect.
- Legal Action: Considering litigation to enforce compliance with the Decent Work Act.
This independent path is not about division but about ensuring that adjunct voices are heard and respected as equal stakeholders in the academic community.
The way forward – what should be done now?
The situation demands urgent intervention:
- To the UL Administration: Pay all outstanding salaries owed to adjunct faculty immediately.
- To ULFA: End exclusionary advocacy and embrace a united struggle for all faculty members.
- To the Government of Liberia: Enforce the Decent Work Act and ensure compliance with ILO standards.
- To Students and Parents: Stand with adjuncts, for their well-being directly affects the quality of your education.
- To Civil Society and International Partners: Amplify this cause and pressure stakeholders to end this injustice.
My Supposition
The struggle of adjunct faculty at the University of Liberia is a microcosm of Liberia’s broader labor justice challenges: delayed wages, selective advocacy, and disregard for human dignity. By distancing itself from ULFA’s protest, AFA-UL has chosen principle over opportunism, demanding that solidarity be inclusive and that adjuncts be recognized as equal members of the academic community.
Liberia’s Decent Work Act and ILO conventions are not abstract texts; they are binding commitments to dignity, fairness, and justice. The continued exploitation of adjuncts is a blatant violation of these commitments and a betrayal of both national and international labor standards.
The message is clear: “Pay us what we have earned. Anything less is a betrayal of our dignity, our rights, and the future of Liberian education.”
About the author:
George S. Tengbeh is a Labour & Environmental Justice Advocate, researcher on climate change, and expert in Public Sector Management, Labour Economics & Policy, Governance, and Water Resource Management. He is the founder of the Liberia Labour and Governance Alliance (LILGA), a non-political civil society organization dedicated to exposing unfair labour practices and promoting good governance.
Contact me: Email: gstengbeh@gmail.com | 📞 Tel|Whatsapp: +231 880 767 070
