The news in the DRC has been quite hectic lately. If we judge by the list of articles published on the Congoprofond.net blog, the most burning subjects are the management of Rwandan territory by the Congolese army, the launching of a new political party, the external audit of the file elections and the collective dismissal of the agents of the Direction of Communication of the Congolese presidency.
Concerning this last point, the agents of the Direction of the Communication of the presidency of the Republic, having been the object of a massive and brutal dismissal, formulated some observations on the decision of reduction of the personnel of the cell of communication. They noted that the dismissal letter is limited to mentioning “new arrangements made”, without further details, which leaves them perplexed.
The agents concerned believe that they have been thanked “for having successfully accomplished the tasks entrusted to them at the Communication Unit of the President of the Republic” and do not understand the brutal decision to dismiss them. According to them, the management of employment at the Presidency of the Republic should be done differently from other institutions, because it is the cabinet of the First Institution of the country.
As a result, the agents argue that the hierarchy is supposed to know that when you leave such an institution, even with or without congratulations, you have little or no chance of finding a job quickly elsewhere. And this is due to a key factor: the political colors of which we necessarily become carriers.
The Presidential Party in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UDPS, promotes Social Progress, which implies that any dismissal, which can only directly or indirectly involve it, must obey certain rules of decorum, notify six or three months before the agent to be furloughed, so as to prepare him for an honorable exit.
The communication agents of the Presidency of the Congolese Republic believe that a sudden and brutal dismissal in no way reflects the content of the letter from His Excellency the Director of Cabinet, which highlighted the good and loyal services rendered, as well as the promise to call on the expertise of the agents concerned if necessary.
They are content with rumors of budget cuts as the reason for their dismissal. To this, they recall that for 23 agents with an average of 1,250 dollars per month, the budgetary issue likely to be mentioned is 28,750 dollars, and with exit allowances representing six months’ salary, the budgetary issue is $172,500. Knowing that these six months correspond to the period of time separating the date of dismissal from the date of the launch of the electoral campaign.
They wonder about the relevance of dismissing competent agents recognized for their expertise, for budgetary purposes which have no real reason to exist, evoking the prospect of a new recruitment within the Directorate of the Communication.
In short, these reactions of the agents of the Directorate of Communication of the Congolese presidency highlight the need to follow a certain decorum in the event of staff reduction, especially when it comes to a presidential cabinet. But did the government really have budget restrictions? This remains an open question and the hope is that the licensees will be able to assert their rights with the Very High Hierarchy to avoid a precedent that could set a precedent.