By Lyndon Ponnie

Air-condition Dog Apartment

When Firestone ravaged the virgin vegetations of central Liberia backed in the mid 1920s in the name of capital investment leading to the establishment of the biggest rubber plantation in the world, investment-hungry Liberians were hopeful that their problems of unemployment and poverty would be over. But 80 years since, the hope of the people and nation seems elusive, as the first major investor remains submerged in controversies bordering bad labor practices and moral misdemeanors, including what some analysts dub as neo-slavery. Concurrently, the alleged excesses of the multibillion-dollar Firestone have provoked labor unrest, including the ongoing strike described as the most hurting and paralyzing in the history of the company. Editor-In-Chief Lyndon Ponnie was in Harbel yesterday and played audience to the grievances and horror stories of Firestone’s rubber workers.

Typical home of Firestone Laborers

Specifically, it was in 1926, when Firestone, which turned out to be the biggest rubber plantation in the world and Liberia’s oldest international rubber investment was established.

In those days, it was common notion amongst most Liberians, if not all, that the establishment of such multi-national entity would have helped to reduce poverty and alleviate the suffering of the people of Liberia, Africa ’s oldest black independent state.

Apparently consumed by that illusion, the Liberian government then signed a 99-year contract with the company.

At 81 this year, the company continues to be embattled by its workers, particularly tapers and other low-level operators, who incessantly complained about poor working conditions, neglect and hash treatments.

Firestone has been in the throes of great controversies for various alleged inhumane treatments, including its hand in the Fernando Po Crisis, when hundreds of Liberians were sold into slavery abroad.

It seems things have hardly changed at Firestone, resulting into a serious strike action ongoing for what the workers are describing as being akin to Concentration Camp.

An apparently angry worker said in an interview, “We are standing in demand of our human and civic rights, and we will not rest until we emancipate ourselves from the ruthless treatment we are encountering from management of Firestone. And this strike action must send out the hard message that we will not relent until our demands are met in full or things remain totally paralyzed here.”

Labor Minister Samuel Kofi Woods and Agriculture Minister Chris Toe spent nearly the entire yesterday trying to mediate between the workers and the management of Firestone to find a way out to end the strike action.

A spokesman of the aggrieved workers, Jerry Mulbah, said in an exclusive interview that they were in slavery at the company. He stated that employees of the company are being used by the management as if they were not human beings.

“The management of Firestone respects the rights of their dogs more than our welfare,” he said. “While we, the workers and our families, are sleeping in shanty houses built and offered by Firestone, puppy dogs are living in well-fenced apartments, equipped with air-condition and DSTVs.”

Every week, according to Mulbah, the management of Firestone spends US$500 on food for the dogs while they “who used sweat, blood, and tears to do the work that raise huge sums of money for the company, earn not more than US$40.00 a month.”

Mulbah also alleged that the Plant Protection Force (PPF) officers of Firestone usually required and, if necessary, forced by management of the company to salute the dogs whenever they see them.

He recalled that nearly two years ago PPF officers were forced to mourn for three months for one of the Firestone’s dogs that died.

The dog died en route to Ghana for medication after a brief illness, according to Mulbah, saying “each of the dogs carries the title of Lieutenant Colonel.”

They are the only highest ranking officers besides the expatriate PPF officers at the plantation, John Willie, another worker, told this paper.

“We are treated like modern slaves in our own country. I just can not understand why our own governments always remain mute about such cruel treatment meted out against its citizens by foreign company,” one of the officers lamented.

Speaking to Public Agenda in separate interviews yesterday in Harbel, a number of workers said they were demanding the immediate sacking of Industrial Relations Manager, Phil Roberts for what they termed, “his ill-treatment of fellow Liberian workers at the plantation,” and tempering with internal labor politics on the Firestone Plantation.

They said Roberts was in the constant habit of dismissing employees with no justification.

Some of the interviewees call for the freezing of GAAWUL’s 40% share of the union dues, and the holding of early election to elect new workers union leadership.

The workers also accused the management of Firestone of failing to improve water facilities in their homes.

They said the management continues to pump muddy water in their home which they said is causing sicknesses for them and their families.

They noted that the company has also failed to provide safety equipment, protective clothing and good housing to all the employees.

They vowed not to return to work until these demands are met by the management of Firestone.

By late yesterday afternoon, Labor Minister Woods and his counterpart from the Ministry of Agriculture, Chris Toe, met with the workers at the Harbel Sports ground to tell them what was discussed with the Firestone management.

Most of the workers were seen walking out of the meeting, complaining in murmurs that they were disappointed because their major demand to have Phil Roberts dismissed was not met.

Up till press time, there was no compromise reached between the workers and the Firestone management.

All efforts made to contact the management proved fruitless. The management team could not make themselves available to the press except government officials.