Firestone Liberia rejects claims of slave labour alleged in lawsuit

Los Angeles - A human rights organisation, The International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) has filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles Federal Court alleging that workers at Bridgestone's Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia work under conditions that amount to slave labour.

Firestone said in a statement, "We will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit which is completely without merit."

The lawsuit claims, among other things, that Firestone's Liberian workers cannot meet daily harvesting quotas without unpaid aid, requiring them to put their own children to work or face starvation.

Firestone's statement says, "[the International Labor Rights Fund] has a long track record of filing and losing similar lawsuits against corporations. The allegations by this group are outrageous and are simply not supported by the facts. This has more do with generating headlines than with seeking justice."

The company further defended its record in Liberia, saying,

Jobs

• Our jobs are among the highest paying in Liberia and our teammates are represented by a labor union.
• Working conditions and wages are the result of a collective bargaining process freely entered into by both sides.
• We do not employ anyone under 18, have strict policies against child labor and prohibits the practice of parents having their children work with them.

Education

• Liberia's greatest resource is its children.
• We operate 20 schools and are educating more than 7,000 children.
• We are opening a high school.

Infrastructure

• We are building new homes at Firestone Liberia, as the decades long war has taken a severe toll on all the country's infrastructure.
• We are rebuilding the Firestone Hospital to improve the medical care we provide to our teammates and the other citizens in Liberia.

In conclusion, Firestone said, "Firestone Liberia has a courageous and hard working leadership team comprised primarily of Liberians who are working to create hope and opportunity for the people of the Harbel Community. Firestone is a force for progress in Liberia."

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Website of ILRF

Labour group sues Bridgestone on Liberia rubber plantation Reuters (South Africa)