By Lincoln G. Peters
The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Protection, Intelligence, Safety, and Veteran Affairs, Lofa County Senator, Momo T. Cyrus, has expressed alarm over a nationwide safety risk and sinister plan by the Ministry of Labor and the Staff Union of Liberia’s proposal to unionize the Non-public Safety Sector, particularly non-public safety employed and assigned on the ArcelorMittal Liberia Concession areas.
Talking in an interview on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Senator Cyrus said that the proposal from the Ministry of Labor and the Staff Union of Liberia to unionize the non-public safety sector could be an infringement and full destabilization of the nation’s peace and safety, whereas vehemently rejecting the proposal.
He mentioned that something that may result in destabilization and infringement on the peace and safety of the nation won’t be endorsed; as a substitute, they’ll take eager word and supply oversight concerning the matter, as mandated within the ToR of the Committee.
In line with him, the difficulty of whether or not Non-public Safety could be unionized is one thing that has by no means existed earlier than in Liberia, as non-public safety started to be activated within the Fifties, making it an off-the-cuff sector moderately than a proper one.
He additional indicated that there are quite a few overseas concession firms in Liberia, however for the Labor Union and the Ministry of Labor to provoke conversations to unionize solely ArcelorMittal Liberia is suspicious, and he wonders what occurred to Beat Mountain, China Union, and plenty of others.
He argued that how can a single concession amongst many be the one one which the Labor Union and the Ministry of Labor are proposing to be unionized.
” So, we see that as a contradiction; subsequently, we’re going to cease that till conversations are held. Non-public Safety is an off-the-cuff sector; subsequently, if we have been to formalize it, a complete dialogue could be required, because it has important safety implications. I’ve knowledgeable the Minister of Labor and Justice that if we should do that, we must always have a dialog about it. The Non-public Safety Business will probably be happy to see that their profiles are elevated, and purchasers are paying them higher wages, and staff are receiving higher compensation. The Non-public Safety sector will not be formal or standardized; it presents individualized pricing for its purchasers. Due to this fact, till we will standardize it and make it a proper sector, we don’t contemplate it possible or well timed. ” Senator Cyrus said.
He urged that if the Staff Union and the Ministry of Labor are very eager on this, they need to have a holistic dialog with the Ministry of Justice to look at each the advantages and downsides, clarifying that they aren’t against it. Nonetheless, it’s not but the fitting time.
The Ministry of Justice, via the Public Security Division, is answerable for regulating non-public safety actions. Due to this fact, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Justice ought to talk about whether or not non-public safety personnel will have to be unionized. This has a public security subject. The Non-public Safety is a non-public establishment paying authorities taxes and employed by the establishment to offer bodily non-public safety protection; subsequently, we will’t enable them to kind a part of a union as a result of they’re answerable for defending the lives and properties of the Establishment for which they’ve been employed.” He said.
Senator Cyrus added that it’s contradictory for them to kind a union, as they’re a safety establishment; subsequently, they will’t be unionized.
” Simply because the Liberian Nationwide Police, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Company, Immigration Service, and your entire authorities safety forces can’t be unionized, that’s the similar with the Non-public Safety as a result of they’re all saving lives and properties. So, the brand new paradigm shift that the Ministry of Labor, via the Employee Union, is proposing for implementation to unionize non-public safety, we expect it’s not well timed; subsequently, we are going to do the whole lot to speak with the Ministry of Justice and Labor not to make sure that this occurs as a result of it’s going to have a backlash.” Senator Cyrus said.
Just lately, proposals have been made by the Staff Union of Liberia and the Ministry of Labor to unionize the Non-public Safety sector, notably for personal safety personnel employed and assigned to the ArcelorMittal Liberia Concession areas. –
