By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The Chairman of the Firestone Agricultural Workers’ Union of Liberia (FAWUL), Rodennick M. Bongorlee has disclosed that the Decent Work Act has been misinterpreted on several occasion by their employer, Firestone, Liberia Inc.
In interview with him at his FAWUL office in Harbel Firestone, Mr. Bongorlee said there is a complete contradiction when it comes to the retirement of workers by the management of Firestone.
A mass lay off of some 800 workers of Liberia’s largest natural rubber company has been underway since April this year. Last week, Firestone announced that the latest batch of 112 workers were being redundant during to economic and other reasons related to the current state of the rubber industry.
The FAWUL Chairman explained that the retirement of employees is the sole responsibility of Firestone Management to pay any worker who has been retired by the company until their death, according to the decent work Act.
But according to him, Firestone management is now shying away from that responsibility and pushing it on the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, which it is not the responsibility of NASSCORP to play dual role for payment of Firestone retirees; and at the same time has its own responsibility to perform.
Mr. Bongorlee narrated that both Firestone and NSSCORP have their own roles to perform when it comes to employees’ benefits.
He added that Firestone pensions an employee at 25 years and they are responsible to give that pension benefits until their death of that person while NASSCORP also pension an employee at 60 years with all the necessaries benefit that follows.
FAWUL chairman further stated that everyone have their role and responsibility to play when it comes to dealing with retirees, why will Firestone push all the responsibility on NASSCORP, when is to retire an employee at age 60.
The FAWUL leaders has therefore wondered who will pay those employees until they can reach age 60?
He described the action of Firestone Management’s refusal to give benefits to the retired employees as an unjust, which is their rights they are entitle to.
Commenting on the recent mass dismissal by the management of Firestone, Mr. Rodennick M. Bongorlee said the FAWUL management is dissatisfied in the manner in which their people are leaving job but narrated that they were told by Firestone management that they are acting in the confine of the law.
The head of FAWUL lamented that when Firestone started the mass redundant of workers, they contacted the mother union which is Agricultural Agro Industrial Workers’ Union of Liberia (AAIWUL).
He said he was told by the president of AAIWUL that he cannot do anything about the redundant of workers by Firestone because, the government told Firestone in order not to shut down the company, they should do anything and this is the anything that is affecting the workers today.
FAWUL newly Chairman stressed that certain portion of the decent work act has been widely misinterpreted by Firestone management only they of their refusal to share copies of the decent work act to the employees on how to go about doing their job.
The FAWUL boss said that because of their refusal to distribute copies of the decent work Act to employees, anytime an employee can be dismissed illegally without any reason only because the employees are in darkness when it comes to the decent work act.
Mr. Bongorlee said he is therefore calling for a total revision of the decent work act by both lawmakers of Margibi County along with the government so the employees can know their right from their wrong.
He recalled that recently, 21 employees from Division 35 were dismissed without any legal reasons and they engaged the management of Firestone to reinstate those employees.
But they were told by Firestone management that they cannot reverse their decision, thereby making them to issued law suit against Firestone Management to the Civil Law court.
Mr. Bongorlee, who served as Assistant Secretary General and now chairman of FAWUL, also narrated that as a newly head of FAWUL he going to use the dialogue method to engage the Firestone management on workers affairs.
He said that he will use the diplomatic method in solving workers problem, but warned that if it again fails, he will definitely use the radical method.
Mr. Bongorlee’s rise to the Chairmanship of FAWUL Chairman came the newly inducted Chairman, Abel Fallah Ngigie was two week later dismissed along with two other persons from the leadership, due to what Firestone called “absenteeism”.