MONROVIA – Firestone Liberia has denied media reports that the company’s Liberian managers are responsible for unspecified bad labor practices at the plantation.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Firestone, in a statement issued on Thursday, January 31 noted that the management of Firestone Liberia, and its parent company, Bridgestone Americas, hold its Liberian leadership in the highest regard, and have the utmost confidence in their abilities and competency to perform their duties.
Firestone Liberia: “The management of Firestone Liberia Inc. (Firestone Liberia) is deeply concerned about recent false and inflammatory media reports regarding the company’s Liberian leadership and labor practices.”
It added: “Remarks such as those implying that the company’s Liberian managers are responsible for unspecified “bad labor practices” illustrate a very misinformed perspective of Firestone Liberia’s management team, and our managers’ ongoing efforts to maintain the job security and improve the general welfare of our more than 6,000 employees plus their dependents.”
The company in the statement contended that it is the country’s largest private employer, and partner to Liberia for 93 years; adding that it employs approximately 6,000 direct employees, of which more than 99.7 percent are Liberian citizens.
It added that Firestone Liberia is very proud of its practice of hiring and promoting Liberians up to the highest levels of leadership, where they sit at the table with other company executives and parent company management to shape the company and help lead its direction.
Rebuking what it termed as ongoing media reports concerning certain employees who were alleged to have been unfairly dismissed from the company, the company asserts that it is operating fully within the laws of Liberia, including the country’s ‘Decent Work Act’ and with great sensitivity to the rights of all its employees.
The company furthered that despite its ‘significant’ efforts to find an acceptable solution and compromise to the situation where the employees in question refused to show up for work, a resolution could not be found, and they were terminated per company policy for abandoning their jobs.
Throughout the decision-making process, the company noted that management informed the employees in question, their union representatives and the Ministry of Labor that their continued absenteeism would constitute the abandonment of their jobs, and subject them to dismissal as provided by law.
Instead of heeding these warnings, the company claims that the affected employees refused to return to work; “thereby choosing to abandon their jobs while other similarly situated employees returned to work and were granted requested excused time off to perform their union related activities.”
According to the company, the return of these two dismissed employees to the employ of Firestone Liberia would be unfair to all others who have faithfully reported for work; adding that rehiring them is not an option being considered by management as this position has been clearly communicated.
It furthered that the management of Firestone Liberia remains committed to upholding the rule of law, to fair dealing with all employees, and to working in partnership with the government and people of Liberia to enhance the employment sector in the country.
It can be recalled that the axed Chairman of FAWUL, Abel F. Ngigie told FrontPage Africa that he, along with the Union’s Grievance Chairman, Edwin Fallah were dismissed because of their refusal to abide by the company’s order to return to their normal work while running the affairs of the union; something he said is against the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the company and FAWUL.
Ngigie narrated that the build up to the conflict followed the FAWUL’s election of October 2018 which ushered in six officials including him as Chairman, Levi Sayway (Co- Chairman), Jacvo Kerkula (Secretatry), Edwin Fallah (Grievance Chairman), Ben Henries (Treasurer) and Mama Kolleh (Chaplain).
According to him, Article 31 of the CBA of (2015 to 2018) gives the Union leadership the authority to engage in full time Union activities and be paid by the company.