Over 1,400 Mano Workers To Receive Back Pay

The Labor Commissioner of Bomi County, J. Jusu Sumo, has ordered the Administration of Mano Oil Palm Plantation to right away pay all excellent wage arrears owed to over 1,434 staff.
The choice follows a prolonged authorized battle over what staff described as “wrongful wage deductions” relationship again to February 2020.
The criticism, initially filed on February 3, 2025, accused the Mano Oil Palm Plantation administration of lowering staff’ salaries with out trigger after taking on from Sime Darby Plantation.
Staff alleged that the change in administration led to pay cuts that violated a number of provisions of Liberia’s First rate Work Act of 2015.
In keeping with the Labour Commissioner’s report, the administration of Mano Oil Palm Plantation failed to supply any authorized justification for the wage reductions.
“The motion of the administration is a gross violation of the First rate Work Act, particularly Chapter 13 Part 13.4 and Chapter 16 Sections 16.1 by 16.6, which clearly defend worker wages no matter adjustments in possession or administration,” the report said.
Throughout two separate hearings held earlier this 12 months, authorized representatives for the aggrieved staff offered employment contracts and pay slips displaying the deductions.
Attorneys Musa Kanneh, Moses Okay. Godoe Jr., Saye Guannu Ghanlekpeh, and James Kolubah argued that their shoppers’ rights have been blatantly disregarded, resulting in monetary hardship and poor employee morale.
In response, the authorized workforce for Mano Oil Palm Plantation, led by Cllr. Gibson D. Manntan of the Mesurado Regulation Agency, claimed that every one obligations had been settled by the previous administration, Sime Darby, and that the employees had signed a memorandum of understanding on the time of the transition.
Nevertheless, they did not current supporting proof or documentation from the Ministry of Justice to substantiate their claims.
Commissioner Sumo’s ruling firmly dismissed the corporate’s arguments and imposed the next mandates, a right away fee of all wage arrears from February 2020 to current for all affected staff, cessation of all additional illegal deductions from staff’ salaries, a tremendous of US$5,000 to be paid into authorities income inside 48 hours for intentionally withholding related labour-related paperwork through the investigation.
“The administration of Mano has no authorized standing to scale back staff’ salaries primarily based on a change in possession. It is a violation of each the letter and spirit of Liberia’s Labour Legal guidelines,” Commissioner Sumo emphasised.
The ruling is seen as a big victory for labour rights advocates and a warning to employers who try and bypass Liberia’s employment legal guidelines.
The case additionally brings to gentle the challenges staff face in holding massive firms accountable, particularly in rural areas.
With this determination, the affected staff of Mano Oil Palm Plantation now await the corporate’s compliance with the Commissioner’s directives, hoping for long-overdue monetary reduction.