The Ministry of Labour has censured the Management of the APM Terminals for conducting its September 27, 2019 redundancy of seventeen (17) employees without providing to the Ministry the period of notice contained in Section 14.5 (i) of the Decent Work Act. It was established that the notice served the Ministry on the same day, for review of the redundancy process of seventeen (17) of its workers, regrettably contravened Section 14.5 of the Decent Work Act of Liberia.
A communication to the Managing Director of the APM Terminals, Mr. George G. Adjei, in which the Assistant Minister of Labour for Labour Standards, Atty. Welma B. Sampson expressed the position of the Ministry, further indicated that of the employees affected, Management had not shown that it proceeded appropriately in its dealings with three (3) individuals, who were named in the communication. Minister Sampson added that the Ministry was also awaiting additional information on a final individual on that list to also determine whether the law was properly applied in his case.
The Ministry has therefore ordered APM Terminals to remedy the contraventions by conducting negotiations in good faith with the specified employees in accordance with Section 8.4 and Section 9.5 of the Decent Work Act of Liberia.
The Assistant Minister communication follows conferences held with the Management of the APM Terminals at the Ministry with latest being on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, which reviewed relevant documents and justifications relating to the said redundancy of September 27, 2019.
As a result, the Ministry of Labour has fined the APM Terminals the amount of Five Hundred United States Dollars (US$500.00) to be paid in the Government Revenue Account at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
The Ministry warns that the negotiation and the payment of fines should be completed on or before October 29, 2019 as failure to do so will lead to additional disciplinary measures against the Management as applicable for repeated violations.
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