The Labor Commissioner of Bomi County, Hon. J. Jusu Sumo, has ruled ordering the management of Mano Oil Palm Plantation to immediately pay all outstanding salary arrears owed to over 1,434 workers.
The decision follows a lengthy legal battle over what workers described as “wrongful salary deductions” dating back to February 2020.
The complaint, originally filed on February 3, 2025, accused the Mano Oil Palm Plantation management of reducing employees’ salaries without cause after taking over from Sime Darby Plantation.
Workers allege that the change in management led to pay cuts that violated several provisions of Liberia’s Decent Work Act of 2015.
According to the Labour Commissioner’s report, the management of Mano Oil Palm Plantation failed to provide any legal justification for the salary reductions.
“The action of the management is a gross violation of the Decent Work Act, especially Chapter 13 Section 13.4 and Chapter 16 Sections 16.1 through 16.6, which clearly protect employee wages regardless of changes in ownership or management,” the report stated.
During two separate hearings held earlier this year, legal representatives for the aggrieved workers presented employment contracts and pay slips showing the deductions.
Attorneys Musa Kanneh, Moses K. Godoe Jr., Saye Guannu Ghanlekpeh, and James Kolubah argued that their clients’ rights were blatantly disregarded, leading to financial hardship and poor worker morale.
In response, the legal team for Mano Oil Palm Plantation, led by Cllr. Gibson D. Manntan of the Mesurado Law Firm, claimed that all obligations had been settled by the former management, Sime Darby, and that the workers had signed a memorandum of understanding at the time of the transition.
However, they failed to present supporting evidence or documentation from the Ministry of Justice to substantiate their claims.
Commissioner Sumo’s ruling firmly dismissed the company’s arguments and imposed the following mandates:
Immediate payment of all salary arrears from February 2020 to present for all affected employees.
Cessation of all further unlawful deductions from workers’ salaries.
A fine of $5,000 USD to be paid into government revenue within 48 hours for deliberately withholding relevant labour-related documents during the investigation.
“The management of Mano has no legal standing to reduce workers’ salaries based on a change in ownership. This is a violation of both the letter and spirit of Liberia’s labour laws,” Commissioner Sumo emphasized.
The ruling is seen as a significant victory for labour rights advocates and a warning to employers who attempt to bypass Liberia’s employment laws.
The case also brings to light the challenges workers face in holding large corporations accountable, especially in rural areas.
With this decision, the affected employees of Mano Oil Palm Plantation now await the company’s compliance with the Commissioner’s directives, hoping for long-overdue financial relief.
