Labor Matters

In singing their ‘Labor song’ unionists say “there is no force on earth that is greater than the feeble strength of one.” It hence remains to be seen at the passage of the new ‘Decent Work Bill,’ expected to confront lawmakers immediately after they return from their break in January 2010, whether the will of the workers and employers, the main stakeholders in the enforcement of the Labor Code, will prevail, now that the people have spoken. Let us remember that laws made for the people must be in the interest of the people, because if the laws are not in the interest of the people, they will not respect such laws; but if the laws are in their interest, they will defend them.

The long-awaited National Labor Conference has ended with the parties speaking: trash the decadent, unfavorable Labor Law; put in place a new Labor Law to benefit the stakeholders and call it the Decent Work Bill.

LLC president Moses Barwror Labor Minister Tiawan Gongloe.jpg

Curbing Union Rivalry

The history of the rise and fall of trade unions in Liberia is replete with rivalry between and among unions of the same nomenclature, and sometimes internal rivalry resulting from greed, misconceptions and misinformation.

Unemployment: Result of Tide and Time in a Capitalist Economy

Worldwide, unemployment is a very serious problem that cannot be solved by unbridled political opposition rhetoric. Although it does not purely rest on economic power, since economics cannot be distanced from politics, neither can politics suffice in isolation of economics.

FAWUL Crisis Deepens

Justice systems are said to be unique with respect to the adjudication of litigation the world over. In the adjudication of any matter, however, one has to be aware of the fact that retributive justice has no room for reconciliation. In the labor setting therefore, where every worker is a brother or sister to the other, retributive justice is not a necessity, considering the fact that what cannot be substituted is a necessity. The reason for this is that when retribution overtakes the redresser, the wrong is not redressed.

Preference for Aliens Instead of Liberians

The cry for employment has been heard from many parts of the country, with some politicians mockingly pointing fingers in the wrong direction in some cases.

Sugar Cane Cultivation Creates Jobs

The issue of job creation has become a heavy burden on the government and on those with the potential to undertake capital investment in an economy such as ours that is struggling to rebuild after more than a decade of civil strife.

Labor Dignity versus Cost of Labor

The cost of anything of value determines the importance of that thing.

US Construction Company, Labor in Internship Deal

The Ministry of Labor and B. L. Harbert Construction Company, a US company contracted for the erection of the new U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, have concluded an agreement for the training of Liberian construction students.

Labor Minister Tiawan Gongloe, in a press conference at the B. L. Harbert Construction headquarters in Mamba Point yesterday, told journalists that the internship training for Liberians is intended to build the technical capacity of those who are in the field of construction from diverse backgrounds.

The Labor boss further indicated that the training is also intended to help reduce the poverty reduction rate and increase the chances of employment.

“We believe at the end of the training, they will be given hope and that's what the Labor Ministry is out for. We want to thank B. L. Harbert Construction for the partnership and also to Marlene Bush, the Employment Specialist and Patience Neah, Director for the Division of Alien Registration, for this partnership deal between the Labor Ministry and the B. L. Harbert Construction,” Minister Gongloe said at the conference.

Workers' Education & Social Dialogue

Sir Winston Churchill of England is quoted as saying better jaw-jaw than war-war. Whether in the time of war or during a no-war no-peace situation, consultation is better than confrontation.

In the industrial setting, no matter the suitability of the parties and their knowledge of their respective works, there is a tendency for workers to engage in stoppages or industrial strife to the disadvantage of both the employer and the employees.

The truth about workers-management relations on the one hand and trade union management relations on the other has driven the Daily Observer Labor Column to examine the situation on the Liberian Labor Market and the condition of the working people.

The case study here is the Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA) now the National Transit Authority (NTA), a government-owned and operated transport company funded by taxpayers.

The entity at the moment has about 200 employees in active service, among who are drivers, mechanics, servicemen or office attendants, among others.

There was a work stoppage some time last week at the NTA yard. It caused a very serious embarrassment and inconvenience for both the management and the public, who rely on the transport facility of the NTA to commute daily in and around Monrovia and its environs.

Root of Labor Union Power Struggle

There is never a time to fear in the exercise of lordship over entrusted property than the time to give account of one's stewardship to the authority or the owner of the property. Stewardship, as we know, entails a great deal of responsibility and carries along a careful management of entrusted property or something that has to be accounted for.

There are times in certain establishments or organizations very little attention is paid to accountability of entrusted property especially in the situation where the care-taker or manager may not feel so obligated to an institution he is part of.

In such institutions or organization where making changes in leadership are frequent mostly for the leaders to lord over their fellow members as though taking ownership of entrusted property, accountability is rare.

More so, others wanting to take the helm of power in such institutions or organizations in most cases would not want to be embarrassed when leaving office. So, they, too, relent on pressing their predecessors to account for their stewardship before taking over the office.

The issue at bar with respect to the Liberian Labor Society has pricked the mind of the Daily Observer Labor Column to attempt to delve into the issue of workers dues and the attitude of some trade union leaders today.

Labor Matters

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