Liberia fines steel firm for bad labour practices

Jonathan Paye-Layleh

Liberia has found a multinational steel company guilty of bad labour practices and ordered it to pay more than $300,000 (£220,000) in compensation to close to 500 former workers. 

They had accused the bosses of Arcelor Mittal of unfair treatment including illegal redundancies.

The ruling ordered the firm to start making payments on 23 September and complete them by 1 October 2021.

The company was also instructed to pay an additional $15,000 to the managers of the aggrieved former workers “to cover their overhead during the prolonged struggle for workers’ right, despite not being a registered workers union,” the ruling said.

To ensure compliance, government ministries will serve as observers “to ensure that this instruction is carried out to the letter.”

Arcelor Mittal has not yet commented on the ruling.

The establishment of the firm in Liberia was the first foreign direct investment in the country after 14 year of civil war ended in 2003.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: AcelorMittal