Workers at the Cocopa Rubber Plantation ended a protest staged on Monday, September 12, by removing roadblocks along the Ganta – Saclepea highway.
The easing of the protest came Monday evening after the intervention of Nimba County officials, who appealed to the workers to stop the strike action and give the government time to address their plight.
Reports from the plantation say the home of Operations Manager, Benjamin Saye, was looted. He also confirmed the looting of the company’s garage and clinic. Saye confirmed that several items, including chairs, clothes and other valuables, were stolen.
He said his home is always burglarized whenever there is a strike action; however, he was not specific about who was responsible for the burglary.
“In the first strike action this year my house was burglarized and my generator was stolen,” he said.
The workers said if the Liberian government fails to address their needs by Friday, September 16, they will resume their strike action until their four months salary arrears are paid.
In April this year the workers carried out a strike action by blocking the road and stopping all traffic in protest for their salary arrears. The action prompted the government to quickly intervene by paying their five months salary arrears covering October 2015 to February 2016.
The workers resumed work in June after the first phase of payments. Meanwhile, following the September 12 protest, the Liberia National Police is reported to be monitoring events at the plantation, with a detachment of Police Support Unit (PSU) officers ready to quell any disturbances at the plantation.
