Workers decry bad poor living conditions and others things, Management rubbishes claim
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
Kakata, Liberia- What is what some workers refer to as “modern day slavery” is allegedly being practiced at the Bright Rubber Plantation in Margibi County, but the company’s management has dismissed the claim.
Some former and current employees of the Company are spending their nights (sleeping) in dilapidated mud houses that were built by the management of the plantation since 1997.
Most of the houses that were covered with thatches are leaking while others are falling apart due to the rain thus creating health hazard for dwellers (employees).
Some of the employees are using cloth to cover the openings that are being created on the structures, as the result of the continuous crumbling of the mud.
According to the workers who spoke on anonymity, the dilapidated conditions of the houses have put their lives at risk with harmful insects as they continue to suffer from mosquito bites and cold among other things.
The workers said the Bright Rubber Plantation lacks safe drinking water (Hand Pump), pit latrines, better housing facilities and health care facilities among others.
They recounted that some of them have on several occasions suffered from running stomach due to the bad condition of the water (running water) they drink on a daily basis. The workers also asserted that due to the lack of pit latrine, they are forced to use the bushes to defecate something they termed as harmful to their lives.
Speaking further, the Bright Rubber Plantation workers lamented that their children are also facing some challenges with their education. Though they said the Company is running a junior high school for their children, but they complaint that many at times the teachers abandoned the school because they are not receiving their salaries thus delaying their children’ education.
On the issue of health, the anonymity workers expressed that the Plantation has a clinic that is only operated by a single nurse narrating that the facility lacks drugs and other essential medical materials. They mentioned that as the result of inadequate medication, they have to go to the C.H. Rennie Hospital for treatment if they get sick or ill.
However when contacted, the Farm Administrator of Bright Rubber Plantation John M. Tokpah denied the allegations made by the Company’s worker that it has been carrying out any wrongful dismissal.
Mr. Tokpah explained that those who are claiming that they were wrongfully dismissed lost 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 days quoting “Article 57.47” of the Labor Law of Liberia which according to him if one lost 10 days without genuine reason should be dismissed without pay no matter how long he/she serves the Company.
He stated that it was on that basis that the workers were dismissed clarifying that it was not based on the protest that was staged by them (the entire workers).
John M. Tokpah disclosed that some of those who were dismissed by the Company were recalled after realizing that they were wrong and apologized for their wrong doing.
He also confirmed that the Company owes its workforce including former employees but said it is for the months of November and December of 2018 as well as January of 2019 respectively.
Mr. Tokpah said after the Company realized that it was being indebted to the workers or continued to incur liability with minimum production; the management decided to redundant some of the workers promising to raise money and settle them in due time something he said affected the entire workers.
He said the Company is settling those that it is indebted to on a gradual basis.
“The entire workers are fall in that category; after the Company has found out that they were like being indebted to the workers latex were not coming people feel that they were on daily mark when they go some time they bring 20 pounds this that they were not getting money and they (management) saw that the payment of workers was just accumulating on them they decided to call all of the workers to inform them and that was done by the general manager, he say the situation we are running into it will have some bad name on us and even placed it into his shoe because he has the same problem with his own Company. So he decided to cut down some of the people, he came to them and explained to them that when thing improve being that I owe you this so so amount of months I will be looking for the money to pay you people,” Mr. John Tokpah explained.
He denied allegation that the Bright Rubber Company is marking each employee US$1. But he claimed that the Company started marking its employees US2.95 cents or above a day, but people felt that this was at their advantage and they earn money that they did not work for this is by producing less than what they were paid for. He said currently tappers are being marked based on what they produced.
At the same time, the company official has confirmed that the structures being occupied by the workers were built by the Company in 1997 and due to the economy crisis; it has not been able to build estate for the workers and further denied report that the area lacks hand pump or safe drinking water.
For school, Mr. Tokpah said there is an elementary school in the plantation providing education for employees’ children. He also said the Company built a clinic that treats manner cases and refers major cases to the C.H. Rennie Hospital. But it was confirmed that it has one nurse because it is a mini clinic.
While some are advocating for their living condition to improve, others are advocating for what they termed as their just benefits. Those who feel that they were wrongfully dismissed by the Company are demanding said benefits.
Mr. Alfred Browne, the father of eight children alleged that he was dismissed without reason adding that since then he had not received his benefits from the Company.
“One of the issue that affecting me here greatly, the people fired me without reason; since they put me down I got eight children living with me here some of them attending Kakata school (E.J. Yancy) I pay their school fees now school close they put me down the three months that we work for they never give us one cent,” Mr. Browne said.
Mr. Browne indicated that they (dismissed employees) can be in the camp while the management of the Company is paying the workers and issuing them rice. He said the Bright Rubber Plantation Management has not been explained to them why it is not giving them their benefits.
He further explained that he once took the courage and went to the farm owner Mr. Richard S.S. Bright informing him that they were dismissed and that they want their benefits stating that Mr. Bright assured him that they will be paid but to no avail.
Mr. Browne has called on Mr. Bright to pay him for the year he and the three months he worked for in order for him and his family to leave the farm as they have been asked to do.
For her part, Madam Juli Gayleyeneh said she was dismissed by the management of the Company in December 2019, because Mr. Bright said he does not have money to pay her’.
Madam Gayleyeneh said: “the farm owner say he not having money to pay us so we much sit down, they not give me money myself I asked I say me and my husband was here my husband die; so my husband die today, today your put me down then how I will live now me and my children them they say we not get money that why we put your down we will see about your,” she explained.