A high power delegation from the Ministry of Labour in Monrovia on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 met and held a fruitful social dialogue meeting with the leadership of the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) at their Headquarters in Harbel, Margibi County.
The meeting also brought together Workers’ Representatives from various divisions and sections of the Firestone Rubber Plantation Company.
The MOL Delegation was headed by Atty. Phil T. Dixion, Minister of Planning & Manpower Development. Other Members on the Delegation were the Assistant Minister for Regional Labour Affairs, Hon. Wilson Dumoe, Director of Trade Union Affairs and Social Dialogue, Boakai Sirleaf and Dominic Wreh Assistant Director of Trade Union and Social Dialogue and Mr. Prince Nyenon, Acting Assistant Director of Communications and Public Affairs.
Speaking at the meeting the Deputy Minister Atty. Phil T. Dixon said the visit to the Firestone Rubber Company and meeting with the workers is in line with the statutory mandate of the Ministry to regulate the labour sector through development and implementation of policies for adherence to the Labour Laws of Liberia and International Labour Standards.
He encouraged the workers to do away with all form of violence which according to him has the propensity to drive away investors and keep would be investors from coming to the country. He said dialogue must always be the way in addressing issues between employers and employees in workplace.
Deputy Minister Dixon reminded the FAWUL’s Leadership and workers to always respect the terms and conditions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed between they and the Management of Firestone-Liberia as well as the Decent Work Act of Liberia which is the Labour Practices Law of Liberia.
Some representatives who spoke to our team of reporters after the meeting said they were grateful to the Ministry of Labour and looked forward to always meeting with the staff of the Ministry noting that continuous dialogue brings about industrial peace and harmony at workplace and thereby promotes national security.
They named the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), recently signed between the management of Firestone Rubber Plantation Company and Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL), which is to benefit workers and their families came as a result of a continuous social dialogue.
The Decent Work Act of 2015 established a legal framework that promotes good faith bargaining and collective agreements as processes for negotiating and determining working conditions; and enables employers and workers to exercise their fundamental rights to bargain collectively and to engage in strikes and lockouts in an orderly way.
Ministry of Labour has successfully used social dialogue as instrument of resolving several disputes between employers and employees at various workplace across the since the passage of the Decent Work Act in 2015.
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