Monrovia – Moses Kollie, Liberia’s Minister of Labor has promised to go after business entities that do not abide by the best practices of the labor laws of the country.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
The former Representative of Lofa County said gone are those days that foreign or local business people will say: “I have the government in my pocket” and they go ahead and maltreat their workers.
News of bad labor practice by businesses has surfaced in the Liberian media. Farmington Hostel in Margibi County and the SEGAL Security firm are among firms accused of alleged bad labor practice.
Addressing journalists for the first time as Minister of Labor at the Ministry of Information regular briefing Thursday, March 29, Minister Kollie assured that the ministry will be robust in its functions.
“And so, the change that we had campaigned on is the change that has come out, we are preparing to institute the change,” he said.
Minister Kollie said the minister’s nationwide joint inspection will also target the Farmington hotel.
“On the issue of Farmington hostel, let me say this; we have decided to put a system in place and on the second of April there will be a joint inspection that will be launched across the country.
“And trust me there will be a change at that hotel and not only at that hotel but all the big names – the untouchable at the time,” Minister Kollie said.
“We are under obligation to protect the investors and to protect the interest of the Liberian people.”
He said the ministry will not sit down and allow other nationals to do jobs that Liberians are qualified to do.
The Labor ministry will work with the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), he said, adding that anyone coming into the country to work as an alien or foreigner should apply to the office of the Ministry of Labor and that if there are already qualified Liberians to do the jobs that the aliens or foreigners are applying for, the ministry will not allow said aliens or foreigners to do such jobs.