By Christian Appleton
Cavalla, Liberia – June 11, 2025 – The President of the Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC) Workers Union, Mr. Paul W. Dweh, has issued an impassioned appeal to the company’s management, urging immediate intervention to address what he describes as the “deteriorating and dehumanizing” state of employee housing facilities.
In an exclusive interview with Global News Network, Mr. Dweh painted a grim picture of living conditions in several workers’ camps, including Division 10, Yancyville, Hospital Camp, and Division 5. He highlighted pervasive issues such as leaking roofs, collapsed sanitation systems, and the complete absence of basic utilities like electricity and clean water. These challenges, he asserted, pose a severe threat to the health and dignity of CRC workers and their families.
“As we enter the rainy season, if you visit any of these camps, you will feel hurt,” Dweh lamented. “It’s quite unfortunate that managers live comfortably in their homes while employees are left to survive in open-air houses.”
Dweh emphasized that the union has made repeated attempts to engage the company’s leadership through dialogue, but their concerns have been consistently ignored. He argued that the current situation has transcended a mere labor issue and now borders on a humanitarian crisis, demanding urgent attention from CRC management, the Ministry of Labour, and national government stakeholders.
The dire housing conditions have already had tangible ripple effects on the community. According to the union, a growing number of workers have relocated from Division 10 to nearby Pleebo in search of better living standards. This mass departure has reportedly led to the closure of the company’s elementary school in that area for over a year.
“These are people who the company depends on for production,” Dweh stated, expressing frustration with both the local Labor Ministry office and Maryland County’s legislative caucus for their perceived failure to intervene. He added that the housing facilities in question were originally constructed by Firestone prior to the Liberian Civil War and have received little to no upgrades since.
Meanwhile, an independent assessment conducted by local journalists corroborated the Workers Union’s claims, revealing squalid conditions in the aforementioned camps, including cracked walls, exposed roofing, and non-functional latrines.
As of press time, Cavalla Rubber Corporation’s management has not issued an official response to the allegations.
The Cavalla Rubber Corporation, one of Liberia’s largest rubber producers, entered into a concession agreement with the Government of Liberia in 2011. The company plays a significant economic role in southeastern Liberia, employing thousands of workers in the production and processing of rubber.
With mounting pressure from the Workers Union and growing media scrutiny, all eyes are now on CRC’s management and government officials to address this pressing crisis before it escalates further.
Comments are closed.