The Minister of Labour, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., has summoned the management of Firestone Rubber Plantation Company for an urgent conference to resolve possible impending industrial unrest at the company.
A Labour Ministry press release issued in Monrovia, on May 5, 2026, revealed that the pending conference between Firestone Management and a faction of the Firestone Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL) is centered around management’s recent decision to lay off a vocal Union leader, Winston Ford, who is expected to take over leadership in the upcoming elections.
The release quotes Labour Minister Kruah as urging Firestone Management to suspend all further actions regarding the employment status of Ford until the pending conference, in a bid to soften the workers’ agitation for possible strike action.
In a meeting with over thirty FAWUL Workplace Representatives from a cross section of Firestone’s various departments, the Labour Minister commended the group for their peaceful conduct during the ongoing standoff with Firestone Management and assured them that all further actions, regarding the status of their leader Ford and other issues affecting their welfare will be speedily addressed.
Earlier, the Representatives of the various sections of FAWUL informed Minister Kruah of their strong opposition to what they called ‘ deliberate actions by Firestone Management to silence their leadership by illegally purging their vocal leader, Ford’. They expressed fear that if successful, the Management could extend such unfair labour practices to other members of FAWUL. They recounted Labour Minister Kruah’s role in the signing of their new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) last year and pledged to remain peaceful, while seeking the minister’s timely resolution of their concerns.
Meanwhile, normal work activities at Firestone are ongoing, uninterrupted, as the meeting between the Management and FAWUL Workplace Representatives is slated for this Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Labour Ministry in Monrovia.
