MODERN SLAVERY AT EAST INTERNATIONAL

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By Joseph Tumbey 

New project Manager, Lee

Following  several complaints of human  rights violations  at the Chinese own “East  International Construction Company” including: slavery, racism, bad Labor practices  among others, their new  Project Manager  only identified as  Lee has confirmed  East International  management involvement in human rights violations. 

Speaking  with local workers and East International management during  the week at their  technical offices in King gray  community  Robert International Airport highway in Monrovia. Several local workers who pleaded anonymity  disclosed  how the Company  management  is an anti human  rights  cartel.

According to them, beating them on  a daily basis and illegal dismissal  is the order  of the day  at East International  while the Government  remains silent  over the happenings. 

Chinese Man from Freetown, Leo

Going further, the local workers  have revealed  that   the entire  workers  who are hired locally  are unemployed  by the Company, work as daily hires  with no contract  shit nor  Social  security  card. 

“Here, the unskilled laborers  are pay US$ 4 per day, no Holiday, work  for over 45 days  before  taking one month pay, force us to credit  from the Company with interest  when month ends and  provide  only  two local  bags of water  for workers  daily, people  are dismissed  for drinking  above the bags of water they provide.

The worst is that they hire a Chinese  man from Freetown  Sierra Leone  by the name of Leo  who beats workers at job regularly. While Sakura, a Chinese  woman, is the Human  Resource  Officer  at the company”, the East International  Construction Company  local  workers  explained in tears.

They further stated that,  recently one of  their   Colleague  who is a  yellow machines operator was  massively  flogged   by Leo the Chinese  Man and while the  case was reported  at the Zone #8 Police Station in Monrovia. The Ministry of Public works with Labor  were involved  with no positive  outcome. 

Meanwhile,  one of the dismissed  local Female workers,  only know as Grace sayon who claimed to had been cooking  for the Chinese  workers  at their newly   crushed rock  site in BenTown o Marshall road said, she was involved  in a moto accident  why she was on her way to the market  to prepare food for them and now  became  a handicap followed by dismissing her  with no benefits. 

Speaking  with the Chinese Woman, Sakura who  was identified  by the local workers  as the only Human Resource of the Company alongside Lee who  claims to be their new  project manager on Thursday  December  8, 2022. Lee confirmed  the  ongoing of  several Human rights violations   at East International and said they are from  different  cultures with different  lifestyles. 

He said adopting Liberian  Culture will take them time. ” I have worked in Africa for over 25 years  both in North, South, East and West Africa .

Meanwhile, when contacted one Victor, a Chinese  Man who is known to be a General Manager of the Company  via phone, he claimed  to be sick and couldn’t  understand English  unless Chinese.

However, several  calls and messages  have been sent to the Labor  Minister, Charles  Gibson  to no avail. 

Alleged HR Sakura

The East International Construction Company  is a Chinese owned Company  who was awarded  the US$ 116 million   contract  to  expand  the 48 kilometer  Monrovia  Robert International  Airport  road  by the Liberian  Government. 

During  the Senate interaction with the Public work Minister, Ruth Cocker Collins on the ongoing  Robert  field highway   road project  handled by the East  International early this week,  the Public Works Minister  confirmed  non confidence in the Company to successfully carry out the road project. 

She  complained the Company to the Senates  of having  non financial and logistics  ability  to complete  the project  within their 36 months  agreement. 

Also speaking  with a Liberian  Journalist who claims to be the Public  Relations Officer of East International  and also a Publisher of  a local daily Newspaper  Global  News Network, Mr. Cholo Brooks.  He threatened to sue any Journalist who published  story about the Company  bad Labor  practice, Human rights violations, slavery and racist. 

Investigation continues. 

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