forced to work by the coercion of poverty... well DUH!!! WHO ISN'T???
Posted on 11/17/2005 6:26:00 PM PST by wagglebee
LOS ANGELES -- A federal lawsuit filed Thursday accuses tire maker Bridgestone Firestone of employing slave labor and child labor on its massive rubber plantation in Liberia.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks class action on behalf of 12 adult workers and 23 children who work and live on the "Firestone Plantation" in Harbel, Liberia.
The suit claims the workers are trapped in a "gulag of misery" and forced to work under conditions that have changed little since the plantation was founded in 1926.
"The plantation workers are modern day slaves, forced to work by the coercion of poverty, with the prospect of starvation just one complaint about conditions away," the lawsuit states.
The Japanese company, with North American headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., said it had not been served with the lawsuit, but said the claims were "completely without merit.' Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire is a unit of Bridgestone Corp.
The company said its workers are represented by a labor union, are highly paid, and that no one under 18 is employed. The company also has a strict policy against child labor.
"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," the company said in a statement.
The lawsuit claims workers get up at 4:30 a.m., then work 12 to 14 hours while using primitive tools to tap the rubber trees and collect raw latex.
The suit also claims that Bridgestone Firestone imposes impossible quotas on the laborers and cuts their pay by half if the daily quotas are not met. In order to meet their quotas, laborers routinely have their minor children join them, the lawsuit claims.
Laborers are paid a daily wage of $3.19 before deductions and must tap at least 1,125 trees per day.
The court action was organized by the Washington, D.C.-based International Labor Rights Fund, which also helped organize a lawsuit in the 1990s against Unocal Corp. alleging human rights violations during the construction of a pipeline in Southeast Asia.
The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs, identified only as John, James and Jane Roe, could not bring similar court actions in Liberia because of fear of retribution and corrupt court system.
The lawsuit requests a jury trial and unspecified damages.
Considering the nature of it and who filed the suit I doubt it has merit. Sounds like another lawyer shakedown just for money.
What about John Edwards?
Nice try.
Yeah, sure. What's the average wage in Liberia?
Thanks for the reminder, I had forgotten that.
"The Japanese company, with North American headquarters in Nashville, Tenn"
Firestone is owned by the Japanese? Good grief, isn't anything owned by Americans anymore?
As for the slavery charges, if they're true, the company should be boycotted.
I don`t think this is about tires. Firestone makes tires, yes, but they have a rubber division as well.
The companies official name is : The Firstone Tire AND RUBBER CO.
Not taking sides on this lawsuit though. I`ll wait for more details.
forced to work by the coercion of poverty... well DUH!!! WHO ISN'T???
Do a Google search on the Firestone Plantation: it is apparently the largest farm in the world- I'm guessing by the number of people employed, which is around 20,000. That number is down from what it once was. It is the second largest population centre in Liberia, after Monrovia.
I would not be terribly surprised if the allegations are true; nor would I be surprised if they are either fradulant, or, more likely, not as severe. Capitalism is hardly a flawless system, particularly when it is removed from an atmosphere of freedom and more-or-less responisble government.
Apparently, all our tires still contain some natural rubber.
Not sure if that "official" name still exists, its been awhile. I would have to go and look that up. But I`m sure this suit is not about tires.
" isn't anything owned by Americans anymore?"
Cooper Tires is American owned.
I wonder if Trojan rubber company has slave labor?
I'm sure this a Soros funded leftist group whose Fenton Communications written presser was just carried as written with no checking by anyone. (Want a little Alar with your apple?)
I thought about that, but how much natural rubber (latex) is used these days? Can the Natural Rubber Division of Firestone actually account for a significant part of the company's revenues? Sure, latex is used in condoms, and with Bill Clinton still stalking the earth, there will always be SOME demand, but enough to make a whole company?
"As for the slavery charges, if they're true, the company should be boycotted."
I doubt this would be company policy to use slave labor. I would think it is just the normal corruption by the locals that was just not noticed or passed up the chain of command. Liberia isn`t exactly the shining example of a country that puts human rights in the forfront.
But then, in the world today, you never know until you get the facts. But my bet it was a local, low level problem.
"Sure, latex is used in condoms, and with Bill Clinton still stalking the earth, there will always be SOME demand, but enough to make a whole company?"
You forgot about the US public school system. I wonder if there are any stats on how many condoms our tax dollars are buying for of brainwashed youths. : )
But it sounds like its still a money making venture for Bridgestone Firestone. If it wasn`t , I am sure they wouldn`t be in Liberia doing business.
I used to work in a 3rd world country. Yes, the people work hard but so do the expatriots, normally 6 days per week. The avg wage among the private sector in most 3rd world countries is $30 - $50 per month but working for a foreign owned company, the avg wage is at least $100 per month. In the private sector unemployment is rampant, typically 40% or more. People who have jobs don't necessarily like all the conditions or the hours but it sure beats not having a job just as having food beats not having food.
So, go ahead and criticize these foreign owned companies but ask the workers if they want to have a job next week.
David Goodman
Mother Jones Online
May/June 2001 Issue
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