Firestone Liberia has called on the leadership of the workers' unions who have initiated a strike action to return to the negotiation table in order to resolve the ongoing impasse between the company and its aggrieved workers.
The company said in a statement released on Thursday, January 30, that the National Timber Wood, Construction & Allied Workers' Union of Liberia (NTWCAWU), the mother union for Firestone Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) needs to continue its engagement with management in order to end the standoff-pleading that the employees should return to work.
"We call on the Union to return to the negotiating table and let the employees return to work," the statement, signed by Amanda M. Hill, Firestone Communications Manager, stated.
The call comes on the back of strike action called by Marcus S. Blamah, General Secretary of (NTWCAWU), for workers of Firestone Liberia to take effect on Thursday.
Firestone says it has been in negotiations with FAWUL on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) since September 2024 and has participated in mediation talks that included the Ministry of Labor. "We regret that we have been unable to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement with NTWCAWU and FAWUL and that they have determined to initiate a work stoppage," the statement from the company said.
The statement noted that Firestone remains committed to resolving our differences at the negotiating table and hopes that can be achieved in a timely fashion so that we can all move forward in a productive way.
"We have informed the Chairman of the Margibi County Caucus and the Ministry of Labor about the strike action," the statement said.