By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Seven out of redundant and dismissed Arcelor Mittal iron ore workers, who have been protesting in demand benefits, have sustained severe injuries in their protest in Liberia’s southern Grand Bassa County over the weekend, leaders of the hundreds of aggrieved workers have disclosed.
They claim the workers got hurt when officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) moved in to quell the protest in Buchanan City. They accused police officer of flogging them.
The redundant and dismissed Arcelor Mittal workers used rocks and other objects to block the railway last Friday and Saturday (February 14-15, 2020), demanding benefits from Arcelor Mittal Liberia.
But LNP Spokesman, Moses Carter has denied this claim. He told www.newspublictrust.com on Monday via mobile phone that the Commander of the Police in Buchanan told him that nothing of such happened and that his men only asked the redundant Mittal Steel workers to remove their blockade from the train track.
According to him, the police only picked up several of the protesting redundant workers and later handed them over to the Superintendent of Grand Bassa County, who had been trying to dialogue with them.
According to the spokesperson of the redundant Arcelor Mittal workers Grand Bassa branch, James Borbor that their flogging and injuries came when they refused to leave the train track, after their structure was allegedly broken down by Police Support Unit (PSU) officers assigned at the iron ore mining company’s office.
Mr. Borbor said they refused on grounds that they were cooking their food to eat and also they couldn’t leave the railway until they receive communication from their bosses in Monrovia and Nimba County.
After they were flogged allegedly by police officers, some of their men were arrested and taken to the Buchanan Police station for reason that is yet to be known, Mr. Borbor narrated.
He said even though none of their colleagues are in police detention, but yesterday they were placed into the Arcelor Mittal bus to be brought to Monrovia but when they reached to Owen Grove the bus turned around and brought them back to Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County.
The Grand Bassa redundant Arcelor Mittal workers block the train track while train was in transit from Nimba County heading to the port City of Grand Bassa County.
They also used their mattresses, cooking utensil and others items daily to consistently block the railway until they receive their benefits from Arcelor Mittal.
For his part, the spokesperson of the Nimba County redundant Arcelor Mittal workers, Emmanuel Weah said they had since removed their blockade of the railway based on intervention from Nimba County Senator, Prince Y. Johnson.
Speaking on Radio Nimba in Sanniquellie City, Sen.Johnson said there was a plan meeting scheduled with President George Weah this week, in order to find solution to their grievances, urging to remain calm.
In 2015, Arcelor Mittal redundant some of its employees on grounds that the iron ore price had dropped on the world market and said when the situation improves, they could be called back to work.
But the redundant workers claimed that iron ore price has now improved but the iron ore giant has refused to call them back.