We have constructed the following from a press ralease put out by the I.C.F.T.U.. Coming from such & source, added weight is givan to the charges made, Liberia was constituoed in 1347 eas tha result of offorts to settle freed slaves in Africa and has never been a direct colonys Ed note,
The sconomy of Liboria is dominated by faroiym companies. "Some poople believe that even its politics are dominated by these companiss,™ says I.C.F.1T.U.. bout three-quarters of all privately employed porsons work for foreign firms, the largost of which is the American=-owned Firestone Plantations Company which employs some 26,000 workers, It produces «a large part of the total Libarian production of one-hundread—million pounds of rubber annually. More than 70,000 pecple ars dependent for their livelihood on rubber, The company buys 211 the rubber from the nativos and other Ginntation owners, who have a tremendous influence on Liberian politics, Thus 4 strike affecting this company immediately assumes a political significance out of all proportion to the actual demands of the workers,
Liberian workers earn near starvation wages, food and rent are @rindingly expensive. No social insurance of any sort exists, apart from industrial accident coverage. Faid holidays and ponsions are provicen for under the new Labour Practices Law - but this law has still to be enforced, Workers in the plantations and mines sometimes get so-called "froc housing" and subsidised food supplies, mt this is only at the cost of the workers! greater dependenca on the employers! goodwill, Since 1934 the statutory minimum wage remained at 4 cents an hour, This was increased to 6 cents following the 1961 strike and to 8 cents an hour this year.
Over the years the employers have stubbornly refused to negotiate with tho workers, The Liberian workers are becoming increasingly conscious of their rights. And they are becoming aware of the methods to be used to relieve their condition, Although earlisr attempts to organise trade unions came to nought, the new national centre, the Congress of Industrial Organiaations of Liberia is making somo solid progress in the towns, In the plantations there is little progress to write home about. The huge Firestons Company is immensely powerful and at the moment could certainly crush any move the C,1I,0, could make to organise its workers. Past oxporience indicates that it would not hesitate to do so.
Two spontaneous strikes were set with harsh measures by the authorities, In 1961 seversl labour leaders were arrested in connection with a strike at the Pirestone Company Garsge, and the strike spread rapidly to some 30,000 wrkers, The strikers demanded higher wages and the release of the arrested trade union leaders, In reply the Government instituted drastic stlurguncy powers to deal with tho strikers, The measures included power to arrest for 90 days, without warrant, persons suspected of ‘inciting unlawful strike.-! The last two of tho arrested leaders were released, without any chargo having boon -preferred_ageinet thom, in\pril-1962, that is, nearly seven months after the strike broke out. Again in July, this year, three labour loaders, as well as the reprosentative of the I1.C.F.T.U., were arrested, The I.C.F.T.U. representative is Lennart Kindstrom, an officer of the Swedish Miners' Union who has given up his position at home to assist his Liberian colleagues on bahalf of the I.C.F.T.U..