Date of publication: September 8, 2008
Source: The News (Liberia)
» http://www.thenews.com.lr/story.php?record_id=3880&sub=News [1]
By Jimmey C. Fahngon
Firestone Agriculture Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) over the weekend honored President Ellen Joihnson-Sirleaf for helping to improve their condition.
The Secretary General of FAWUL Edwin B. Cisco said the union decided to honor President Johnson-Sirleaf for the vital role her government has played and continues to play in ensuring that conditions of Firestone workers are improved.
He lauded the government for providing forum through which voices of workers are heard.
He commended Firestone-Liberia Management for the support and cooperation given FAWUL and for signing the collective bargaining agreement.
In a statement, President Johnson-Sirleaf said she was happy that the government stood its grounds to insist that conditions for workers at Firestone were improved.
The President noted that when she visited the plantation some time ago, she appealed to the workers to waive the 37. 5% salaries deduction they were claiming from Firestone Management.
According the President, this did not go down well with the employees thus they intimated that she would lose by-elections in the county.
The President explained that her decision to ask them to waive the 37.5% salaries was intended to accomplish better living conditions for them.
The Liberian leaders told the workers that the better living conditions her government envisages for them would be permanent which would pass from generation to generation.
According to her, it was in this direction that government decided to renegotiate Firestone-Liberia Concession agreement to ensure better and improved working and living conditions for workers.
She acknowledged that the renegotiation process of Firestone-Liberia Concession agreement was tough, but said she’s satisfied that the agreement is truly in the interest of the workers.
She commended Firestone-Liberia Management for improving conditions of workers but said much still needs to be done.