By Moses Makpeh Tokpah
LIBERIA – Aggrieved workers of the Jetty Rubber LLC in Weala, Cinta Township, Margibi County, have accused the management of the company of carrying out bad labor practices against them.
Of recent, workers of the company embarked on a go-slow at the company’s site in Weala to draw the attention of local authority and central government in order to intervene.
Some of the workers told newsmen during their go-slow that the management of the company has refused to address some issues affecting them as workers.
The workers outlined underpayment, low interest in addressing their health needs, giving them contract sheets that do not bear the name of the entity for signing, and “refusing” to allow them to read through the contract sheets before signing among others…
One of the workers identified as Christopher Gayflor speaking to newsmen recently indicated that in January of this year, they presented to the Chief Executive Officer of the company four counts, including feeding of workers, the provision of mobility to get workers to their various destinations as well as salary increment.
According to him, the company’s management has addressed the issue of feeding by 60% and also provided a bus that transports workers from the German Camp junction to the Jetty’s fence and back to the German Camp junction leaving out the increment in salary and adequate healthcare delivery.
Making emphasis on issues that triggered their go-slow action, Gayflor said they’ve been underpaid by the management of the company though they work for nine hours daily adding that they have worked for the company for approximately ten months.
He said the labor law of Liberia requires every worker in the country to work for eight hours alleging that the case is different with the Jetty LLC management that requests them to work for nine hours and only pays them for eight hours.
Christopher Gayflor noted that the daily wage of a worker at the company stands at US$5 instead of the US$5.50 stipulated in the decent work bill of Liberia.
“In Liberia, according to the Labor Law, every worker should work for eight hours, from 8:0’clock in the morning to 4:0’clock in the afternoon but in Jetty’s fence when you entered here you will work for nine complete hours, from 8:0’clock straight to 5:0’clock and you will be paid for eight hours instead of nine hours” he asserted.
Commenting on the issue of health, Christopher said the management of Jetty Rubber LLC continues to show low interest in addressing their health needs.
He alleged that when a sick worker is taken to the company’s health facility, he or she cannot be given proper medical care, adding that half script of a tablet is given, and the contract can be terminated for staying away from the job.
Based on these conditions, Gayflor said they deemed it necessary their voices should be heard across Margibi and Liberia at large because they are tired.
Gayflor has at the same time accused the labor commissioner of upper Margibi County, Anthony Moses of compromising the workers’ interest, saying that Commissioner Moses is not playing his role as Labor Commissioner but he is rather playing the role of a public relations officer to the CEO, Upjit Singh Sacdeva.
He also accused the Commissioner of being paid by Jetty to compromise their interest adding that his assertion is based on Commissioner Moses’ exposit.
“Mr. Moses informed us that the management of the company has decided to hire every worker on a weekly basis on grounds that there is no work, for which I concluded from Moses’s narratives, he is being paid by Jetty to compromise our interest.”
Also, Gayflor has accused the Commissioner of Cinta Township, Roland Johnson of threatening and intimidating workers…
He continued: “We have been led down by the local commissioner, even the township commissioner. The majority of us (workers) are not happy”.
Another worker’s account revealed that they have been with the company for almost ten months. Alleging they signed contract sheets that do not bear the name of the company but carry the name “Ocean Bay”.
Sensee C. Kaivah narrated that contract sheets were sent to them by the Labor Commissioner of Upper Margibi County, Anthony Moses which they all signed, but they were not given the opportunity to read through the document they signed.
“…even to read that contract sheet it’s a war, but then the salary on the contract sheet is difficult to recognize. You could only see USD blank, blank, blank, blank you don’t understand” Kaivah emphasized.
Going forward, Kaivah said some of them are earning L$600 a day something that prompted them to have engaged the CEO of Jetty Rubber LLC, Upjit Singh Sacdeva appealing to him to increase their salary something according to him, Jetty accepted and informed the top workers.
At the same time, Sensee Kaivah has accused the Upper Margibi County Labor Commissioner, Anthony Moses of compromising the interest of workers of the company.
He termed the Labor Commissioner as a Public Relations Officer to the CEO of the Company on grounds that he is always seen moving with him (Upjit Singh Sacdeva).
Sensee Kaivah said what makes him believe that the Labor Commissioner is with the CEO of the Company is because he (Commissioner Moses) was given a document to read to the workers informing them that the company does not want twenty persons but refused to do so stating that he was afraid to read the document.
When contacted, Commissioner Moses said he cannot comment on the issues on grounds that he is filing a lawsuit against the workers for tarnishing his reputation while Commissioner Johnson has denied every allegation levied against him by the workers.
Meanwhile, every effort exerted by our correspondent to get the side of the management of the Company has proved futile as the CEO of Jetty Rubber LLC, Upjit Singh Sacdeva could not respond to text messages sent to him via WhatsApp and cell number.
