Labour Minister Wants Firestone To Construct More School, Others

2 May 2011

The Minister Labour, Jeremiah C. Sulunteh, has welcomed the tremendous improvement in the housing facility of workers of the Firestone Rubber Plantation Company.

However, the minister was quick to note that the government would love to see the construction of another high school on the Farmington side of the plantation in addition to the one on the Du Side to assist students walking long distances to school.

He said that the government would also like to see other children, who are not considered children of Firestone employees, to have the opportunity to attend the Firestone schools.

The minster made the statement on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 in Harbel, Margibi County, at the start of a nationwide acquaintance visit to major concession and industrial establishments to meet managements, workers, and their representatives or workers’ nnions. This is the first visit of the minister to a concession area since he took over as Minister of Labour.

The Labour minister said, the focus of his visit to the Firestone Rubber Plantations Company was to buttress the efforts of both management and workers in cementing their relationship, as well as to ensure that some of the issues they agreed on in their collective bargaining agreement were implemented.

In separate meetings with the management and Firestone Agricultural Workers’ Union (FAWUL), the minister discussed the living and working conditions of workers of Firestone such as housing, education, medical, and the transportation of latex.

Considering employment as a major challenge to the nation, the minister encouraged the management of Firestone to provide more employment opportunity for Liberians ease the burden of unemployment on government.

Earlier, the Industrial Relations Manager of Firestone, Cllr. Winletta Ayn Henry-Reeves, welcomed the the minister and delegation, and noted that management looked forward to working with a united work force. She said it was easier to deal with the workers as a unified body than as individuals.

She noted further said that the results of FAWUL’s recent election clearly indicated that the workers understood the importance union  membership.

In remark, the Secretary General of FAWUL, Mr. Edwin Cisco, said the visit of the minister and team showed the level of interest the government have in the implementation of the provisions of the  collective bargaining agreement.

Meanwhile, the minister of Labour at the head of a high power delegation, departs for Nimba County, on an acquaintance visit at the Arcelor Mittal and Cocopa Rubber Plantation.

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