Bong Mines — The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Labor, has apprehended 19 Chinese immigrants working without valid work permits at TXT Mineral Resources Limited, a subcontractor of China Union in Bong Mines, Fuamah District, Bong County.

12 of the workers were detained at the mining site, while seven others reportedly absconded before authorities arrived.

The operation was prompted by a complaint regarding the wrongful dismissal of two female employees, one of whom had her belongings discarded by her employer without proper notification.

During the investigation, led by Assistant Labor Minister for Regional Affairs Debah Johnson, labor inspectors discovered not only the wrongful termination of the two employees' contracts, but also that they were being paid significantly less than the minimum wage of $5.50 for domestic workers in the industrial sector.

TXT Mineral Resources Limited has since compensated the dismissed employees with a total of $2,041 for their year of service. The employees were offered the opportunity to continue working, but both opted to part ways with the company.

In response to the situation, the Ministry of Labor enrolled the 12 apprehended Chinese workers into the work permit system.

The operation of the company has been temporarily halted until full compliance with labor regulations is achieved.

Assistant Minister Johnson noted that the issue of Chinese workers lacking proper permits is not confined to China Union and is prevalent among many Chinese companies operating in Liberia.

"They just bring these Chinese overnight, and when we check, we often find people working without permits," Assist. Minister Johnson stated.

She, however, vowed that the ministry will actively pursue the seven absconding workers to ensure compliance with Liberia's labor laws regarding work permits.