By: Moses Tokpah

IPNews-Monrovia, Liberia- 23 March 2018:A Lebanese businessman identified as Rocky Amah has been accused of bad labor practices melted against some female Liberian workers in Kakata Margibi County.

Some of the women who spoke to reporters in Kakata recently said they are constantly being ill-treated, underpaid and abused by the Lebanese businessman

According to the women, Rocky only pays them whenever he feels satisfied and sometimes when he ready on the 15 of the following month.

The women said some of them are paid L$7000.00 and L$6,500 per month respectively as they reportedly work throughout the week including Sundays and holidays from 6am to 7pm.

Martha Winnie, 21, said their boss pays them L$500.00 per day but each time any of them misses one day, he deducts L$500.00 from said individual’s salary.

According to her, Rocky gives each of them the amount of L$50.00 as food money a day.

“My name Martha Winnie, the man is ill-treating us; he is not marking us get the L$500.00 per day but if we make any attempt to lost one day, that amount which of course he is not paying us is being deducted from us. The day you are absent, he marks L$500.00, even when you are sick he marks you the same amount,” she lamented.

Martha indicated that each time any of her relative or family member dies and she goes to sympathize with the bereaved family, Rocky deducts L$500.00 from her salary even if she informs him.

She further noted that the same amount can be deducted anytime she goes to hospital for treatment after falling ill.

“When he is taking the L$500.00, he says if we agree we should stay, but if we don’t agree we should walk out of the yard” she added.

Martha, who carrying a pregnancy for several months now, said Rocky Amah does not give leave to a pregnant woman or a young baby mother.

Asatu Kolubah, another woman in her late 60s, who washes and irons Rocky Amah’s cloths as well as make up his bed, also averred that she has worked for the Lebanese businessman for the past seven years and is continuously going through ill-treatment.

Asatu indicated that around holiday season like Christmas, their boss does not pay them but he rather prefers giving them money as debt.

Speaking on the L$500.00 deduction, the lady stated that Rocky informed them that it is the law governing his work.

She noted that her grandchild died in Monrovia recently where she spent two days expressing that she is of the believe that Rocky will deduct L$1000,00 from her salary.

Asatu said on Sunday, March 19, 2018 she and her workmates asked Amah to grant them excuse to go and do some homework such as washing but he refused and threaten to reduce their salaries to L$3000.00.

For her part, Patience Tucker, another pregnant woman who had worked for Amah for ten months washing dishes, said any little mistake she makes, he will insult her and send them out of the yard, something she said he has been doing for long time, but they have been letting it go because of the scarcity of jobs in the country, especially in Kakata.

Madam Patience pointed out that in December of 2017, one of Amah’s worker identified as Soko Cassel died and they left to attend the funeral he again deducted L$1,500.00 from her salary.

She explained that recently the Lebanese national sent her for food and she went with it in the rain and he started abusing her for allowing rain to touch his food, but she could not say anything because she is stranded.

Patience further narrated that in February she was sick and shivering and she informed her friends that due to her condition she could not go to work, but Rocky Amah deducted similar amount of money from her salary.

She noted that anytime Rocky does wrong to them, he will say the Liberian government is in his palm (not the word he used) and cannot do him anything.

Patience Tucker furthered that once hot water wasted on her and Rocky brother Rami said it was because of her own stupidity that the water wasted on her. She mentioned that Rocky is in the habit of insulting them and has beat on her before.

Meanwhile, the women are calling on the Labor Ministry and other government officials to intervene into the situation.

When contacted to respond to the allegations levied against him, Rocky Amah said he does not know the women to be his workers and he ordered reporters out of his business center.