SANNIQUELLIE – Several aggrieved former employees of steel giant ArcelorMittal who believe they were illegally redundant between 2015 and 2016 on Tuesday staged a protest by blocking the company’s railway with coffins, stones and pieces of sticks.
They claim the company illegally redundant them and has since refused to reinstate them, yet employing other people to the positions they vacated.
The protesters claim that prior to Tuesday’s protest they had made many efforts to have their concerns addressed behind the scene but authorities of the company and national government have done nothing to ensure that those negotiation succeed.
Mr. Emmanuel Sherman, Deputy Mines and Energy Minister for Operation refused to comment on the matter when contacted.
“I have decided not to comment on this matter anymore. When we tried to intervene, FrontPageAfrica tried to draw us into it, so I don’t do my business this way,” he said.
Last week FrontPageAfrica reported about a secret meeting held between the Ministry of Mines and Energy and a local civil society group the ‘Nimba Education Guide’ mid lingering threats of protests, to quiet down threats of protest in demand of jobs for Nimbaiains.
“Since 2018, we met with the President, the Minister of Justice and other senior government officials, they apologized to us; since then we been patient, we are no longer prepared to keep silent, we want our money or the government should kill us for the company.”
– Kingston Nyenabo, Head of the Aggrieved Redundant Workers
“Since 2018, we met with the President, the Minister of Justice and other senior government officials, they apologized to us since then we’ve been patient; we are no longer prepared to keep silent we want our money or the government should kill us for the company,” said Kingston Nyenpan, head of the aggrieved redundant workers.
The aggrieved workers said having worked with ArcelorMittal for years before their redundancy, the company is asking them to reapply for their posts, sit a test and interview before being reemployed.
“Imagine some of us have been working for this company for more than six years, then they say we should take test with people who have no mining experience, people who have never been to the mine before,” he said.
According to him, they will continue their protest until their concerns are addressed.
“It is better we die striving for our rights than to live in embarrassment,” he said.
Recently, the Nimba group threatened to stage a protest in demand of jobs for citizens of the county – a situation that appears to be pushing the steel company to the limit during a global health crisis that is disrupting global economies.
Among a laundry list presented to the company, the group is demanding that the company shoulder the responsibility of rehabilitating the Yamein Road once every year and open its recruitment with preference given to Namibians — especially skilled jobs.
The group are also demanding that Nimba-based companies be given the same opportunity to apply for contracts at ArcelorMittal Liberia and that all local contracts such as catering and other services be given to Nimbaians only.
Industry observers say pushing the company to adhere to these demands will set a wrong precedent for one of the country’s major investors and may leave other project-affected counties – Bong and Grand Bassa where the company also operates – launching similar threats and demands
The Ministry of Justice, which is the legal organ of the government, and the Ministry of Labor were not informed nor were invited to the discussion.
A source within the Ministry of Justice, who asked for anonymity, said the Thursday’s meeting at the Mines & Energy Ministry presents a “semblance of illegality”, adding that “If it relates to any disruption or potential violence, it should involve justice from justice minister”.