Amid Protest, Meeting In Deadlock Over Health Benefits, Social Security, Overtime…
PHOTO: Meeting between workers and management that has broken down
By Allen P.Lablah, lallenpaye@yahoo.com
SANNIQUELLIE, Liberia- Normal operations have come to a standstill, after a meeting between the Afcons Management and its aggrieved former and current workers reached a deadlock in the northeastern Nimba County.
Afcons is a company contracted by ArcelorMittal Liberia Limited, since.2010, although they took a break in 2024 and returned to Liberia 2021 for the second time.
The aggrieved Afcons workers are demanding their benefits which include: payment of extra two hours, health benefits, National Social Security, Leave, Overtime amongst others.
Their decision has forced Afcons Management to stop its operations until the demands of the aggrieved workers are met. The workers took to the streets and blocked entrances leading to the Afcons offices in Yekepa on Saturday, May 31,2024.
The aggrieved Afcons workers are also holding on to the one paragraph document signed by Afcons Management headed by Amit Mishra, indicating that no one will go to work until aggrieved workers’ grievances are addressed.
The deadlock came after 6hours of consultative meeting with officials of the aggrieved workers, ArcelorMittal Representatives and Afcons Management.
Five months ago, Afcons aggrieved workers took the company to Labour authority in demand of their benefits.
Speaking to Journalists after the consultative meeting, Nimba Labour Commissioner J. Solomon Workar urged the aggrieved Afcons workers to remind calm as he hopes to communicate boss for their timely intervention into the matter.
Commissioner Workar maintained that as it stands now with the Labour court his office has less part to play, because he has no right to undermine legal process.
Mr. Workar said, as Labour Commissioner in the county, he needs to keep concession communities peaceful and stable.
Also speaking was also the aggrieved workers’ chairman, Jeff Marweihn who said Afcons must adhere to their counts and pay the aggrieved workers in order to keep their operations free from protest.
Mr. Marweihn lamented that Afcons Management should live up to their commitment if they are to resume work in Yekepa, Nimba County.