IPNews-Monrovia,Liberia-13 August 2018: An impartial report conducted by the Independent Probe from recent violence in Firestone Division N0. 43, lower Margibi county reveals that Officers of the Police Support Unit, of the Liberian National Police-PSU, on last Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at about 10 A.M., opened gun fire over protesters sending residents and protesters haywire for their lives. According to one eye witness in Division 43, (owned and operated by the Firestone Rubber Plantation), in an interview with the Independent Probe explained that while protesters were marching towards the main camp of the division which house senior managers of Firestone in demand of improved wages from management of the company, officers of the Police Support Unit-PSU opened live rounds of bullets in the air sending the protesters in all directions for safety of their lives. The eyewitness, who preferred not to be named, told this paper that he witnessed protesters setting up road blocks along the main road from Wilson check point, commonly known as ‘Wilson gate’ into the main camp of division 43, preventing free movement of vehicles and residents. According to the eyewitness who is also a Journalist working for a local NGO in the area confirmed to this paper that protesters wearing war-days head-ties were seen with two ‘single barer guns’ during the protest prompting officers of the Police Support Unit-PSU to open gun fire in the air in a bid to dislodge the protesting crowd . Narrating further, our eyewitness further explained that during the shooting by officers of the PSU, fleeing protesters ran in all directions prompting panic among residents and others who had gone to visit relatives and friends of ‘Wilson Gate’ community and the entire division 43. The eyewitness furthermore informed this paper that some protesters during the initial stage of the protest began cutting down huge portion of the rubber trees within the division 43 vicinity. Our reporter who visited the scene also saw burned rubber trees in large qualities, but could not independently verify whether it was burned by protesters. However, in a early morning interview on state radio ELBC, on Saturday, August 11,2018, Police spokesman Moses Carter, alluded to the shooting but insisted that officers of the Police Support Unit had to go all out to ensuring calm was restored to division 43 and its environs following an uncontrollable protest by some aggrieved workers of the Firestone rubber plantation mainly ‘tappers’. Cater to the ELBC morning show that authorities of the Liberia National Police are currently conducting full skill investigation into circumstances leading to the discharge of live bullets but insisted that officers of the national Police in its pursuit to ensuring the violence did not spread to other parts of the plantation use ‘discretionary tactics’, to disbursing the angry crowd. Up to the departure of our reporter from the area on an independent investigation established that some protesters were arrested by the PSU and taken into custody but where they are could not be established as there were conflicting reports with some saying they were taken to the headquarters of the Liberian National Police, while others said they were taken to Kakata police detachment pending police investigation. Our reporter in a bid to further independently confirmed whether there was any person or protester sustaining bullet wounds visited the Harbel Hospital but found no wounded person there except at least five persons who had sustained minor injuries during the incident. But could not establish if they were fleeing protesters. It may be recalled striking workers of the Firestone rubber plantation for some time now have demanded the company increase their hourly wages from US$8.36 to US$12.50 as a precondition to end their ongoing strike action. At audience meeting with authorities of the Ministry of Labor on Thursday, August 2018, a day following their protest action, in a position statement told Labor Minister and other government officials present that they have gathered to make known their concerns which range from ‘discrimination of workers’ to ‘inconsistent wage structure’. The Union’s statement also highlighted the management reluctance in making wages readjustment following series of promises to them leading to a huge disparity in their wage structure. Reading the statement on behalf of the aggrieved workers, Luogon Guanue Polay stated that Division Superintendents’ wages were increased from $US400 to $US1,100, while tappers at the bottom of the scale were left out, with management insisting there is no money. “We want the $US8.36 to $US12.50 reflected on the payment statement as base pay plus any other earnings,” the statement further said. The aggrieved Union workers also insisted that the management of Firestone Rubber Company provide them first aid training for at least two of its members at each divisional office school campuses along with the provision of a first aid kit. The statement further noted that regardless of all the legitimate pleads by the workers Union yet the Management of Firestone has refused which prompted the protest leading to the discharge of firearms on workers at division #43, precisely at Wilson check point. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Musa Dean has assured the workers that no workers will be punished by management for airing their views during the stand-off. He mandated the Management of the Firestone Plantations Company to provide employees’ handbook to the workers within a reasonable time, noting that doing so will enable the workers understand the do’s and don’ts in their workplaces. The Justice Minister has also ordered an investigation into a complaint that live ammunition was fired by security forces during the strike action on the plantation. He informed the workers that the President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. George M. Weah, is very concerned about the plight of workers of Firestone and promised that the Government of Liberia’s mediation team will take their concerns to him. He called for the setting up of a tripartite committee of the Firestone management, workers’ representatives and Government to address the workers’ grievances and report by August 24. During the meeting, a representative of the Firestone management promised to collaborate with the Presidential committee to ensure that the issues raised by the workers are laid to rest in time. Labor Minister Moses Y. Kollie said he was pleased that workers have agreed to return to work, following the intervention of the Government of Liberia, noting that this is a clear indication that the Weah-led government is concerned about the welfare of workers in the country. He told the workers that the government is under obligation to listen to their plight and encourage all workers in the country to bring their issues to the Ministry of Labor for amicable resolution, instead of engaging in what he called lawlessness. Kollie further encouraged the workers of Firestone to respect and listen to them as their leaders in order to allow them solve their issues. In a related development, Workers of the Firestone Rubber Plantation Company have named a seven-member committee to represent them on the tripartite committee proposed by the government, to continue with the dialogue in the next two weeks. The proposed dialogue is expected to find solutions to the ongoing situation at the plantation. Those named to the workers’ committee include Mr. Luogon Polay, Chairman; Abraham Nimene, Co-chair; Raymond C. Yeon, Secretary; Tito B. Tarnah Alice Seh, Abel F. Ngigie and Edwin Fallah, members.
