A fortnight ago violence erupted again at Liberia’s largest natural rubber plantation-Firestone, particularly ‘Wilson check point community’, division N0. 43, in lower Margibi county, sending protesters and residents in all directions when officers of the Officers the Police Support Unit-PSU, allegeable opened fire of protesters.
According to eyewitnesses, the violence which erupted during the early hours of Wednesday, August 8, 2018, as a result of protesters trying to march on homes of senior managers of the Firestone Rubber Plantation in demand of improved wages.
We view this development as troubling especially when there are troubling economic conditions of the country, following the scaling down of many investments in the country over the last two years.
What remain most troubling is report that protesters were seen setting up road blocks, with some even seen with ‘single barer guns’ is not only a worrying sign but posed a threat to the national security of the country following the drawdown of the United Nations Peacekeepers.
Importantly, the reassurance by the Minister Justice Cllr. Musa Dean that workers would not be punished by management for airing their views during the stand-off should be view as an important path for the resolution of the impasse.
We are most importantly view the timely outcome of investigation ordered by the Justice Minister in the aftermath of violence at the plantation as a remedy to preventing all other labor unrest at plantations across the country.
Certainly, its the hope of the management team at this paper that the worker’s committee setup to fully discuss the worker’s grievance handle the matter with care as the general interest of all including workers at the Firestone rubber plantation and the stability of the state is of paramount interest to all.
