The Minister of Labour, Hon. Vabah K. Gayflor says Government is committed to ensure that the rights of workers are protected in the country.
Minister Gayflor made the statement on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, when she paid a surprised visit at the Chinese International Company (CICO) operation site in Caldwell Township, Montserrado Country.
The Labour Minister visit to CICO follows numerous complaints of bad labour practices against workers of the company.
It can be recalled that in May of this year Management of CICO-Liberia committed itself to issuing employment letters to their employees, post a work schedule at the work place, provide shelters, social security benefits and safety gears to the workers during an inspection of its facilities.
The Minister frowned on CICO Management for their failure to improve on all the violations identified by the Labour Inspectors against her employees despite earlier assurances to do so.
The Minister said the Ministry of Labour will continue to monitor the situation at CICO until the management can improve the conditions of their workers.
The Labor Minister used the occasion to call on trade union organizations to do more in ensuring that the rights of their members are protected at work places.
During the visit, the Minister and team inspected several facilities of the company including the drinking water for Liberian workers.
As part of their complaint, the workers accused the management of supplying them contaminated water that is not good for human consumption.
This information was confirmed by the Ministry of Labour team during the tour of CICO facilities at which time it was discovered that the Chinese's are drinking safe drinking water and the Liberians are drinking contaminated water from the concrete pit.
Speaking earlier, the supervisors of the Chinese International Company (CICO), management, only identified as Messer Tony and Steven representative of Mr. Fu Faingquan, Managing Director, promised to comply with the Labour Law by improving the conditions of workers at the company.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour, Hon. Vabah K. Gayflor has promised that serious action will be taken against the management of CICO for their failure to adhere to the Labour Law of Liberia.
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May God the father of heaven and earth bless you Hon. Vabah K. Gayflor. How I long to see this day, that the Liberian people would have concern leaders who will speak and stand for them as the primary objective of dependable government. Once upon a time I went across the bridge and sadly to say it was on a rainy sunday evening, when I met those of our fathers and brothers who serves as watchmen. Many of them in the open standing under dilapidated shades and kiosk struggling with the intense cold that evening. My heart broke when I saw them I whisper to myself, O' God this thing can never happen in other countries we've visited. To places we visited, you will find even a watchman is well carter with all necessary facilities to make his job easy as well protected. They have places to keep safe during the night or rainfall.
How inhuman it is to give your fellow human a contaminated water to drink. That company or what ever it is but be dealt with if they will continue to neglect require demands for propre function to serve as deterrent warning to all others. May God continue to strengthen you Hon. Vabah K. Gayflor as you go about faithfully in serving the welfare of our beloved country.