-Over Its Alleged Refusal to Compensate Injured Ex-Staff After Nine Years
BY: SHALLON S. GONLOR / shallonsgonlor@gmail.com
NIMBA COUNTY — Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono has ordered an investigation into concerns about ArcelorMittal Liberia’s refusal to make available the just benefits to two of its ex-employees who sustained major injuries while on duty at the company. The two ex-employees, Steven S. Nahn, 47, and Mohammad, 61, who are now physically challenged since the incident on April 1, 2016, have since urged the steel company to adhere to the ruling of the Labor Court of Liberia, which ordered AML to compensate them their just benefits inline with the law.
Upon presenting their concerns over the weekend at the Nimba County Superintendent Compound in Sanniquellie, Superintendent Gono ordered the County Liaison Officer to conduct a deep investigation into the matter involving both parties and file a formal report upon completion. A screenshot copy of the ruling in our possession under the gavel of Deputy Labor Commissioner of Nimba, Sam Nappah Weh ordered the Management of AML to pay the sum of $44,383 United States Dollars, each to the affected employees as stated in section 31.5 of Decent Work Act.
The act states that when an employee suffers permanent total disability as the result of compensable occupational injury; the compensation therefore shall be amount to 48 average earning. But, according to the ex-employees, AML was ordered to make payment to the victims through the hearing office on or before 30 September, 2024, yet no payment is done.
Steven S. Nahn, 47, said he worked for ArcelorMittal as an employee until his unfortunate encounter at the workplace. “On April 1, 2016, I sustained this injury, losing one of my hands.” Nahn narrated that he got amputated working on the plant as maintenance. “So, while working on the plant, I was maintenance.”
According to him, while at work, he had a lot of materials hanging on me, which he described as almost a “setup” causing complete damage to his hand, and removing three of his teeth. “They damaged me completely. Yeah, my three teeth removed,” he said
Nahn further recounted damage to his eyesight. “I was blind for five months.” Adding that “only my right hand three fingers were working, everything on me was damaged. My chest was broken. So I’m feeling pain.”
Approximately nine years countdown since the accident occurred in April 2016, Nahn said he has not received his needed just benefits from ArcelorMittal Liberia despite the labor court ruling mandating the company to settle him. “From 2016, April 1, up to now, I am not getting any good thing from ArcelorMittal. Nothing! When I go to them, nobody wants to listen to me. I was full employees.” Nahn explained.
He emphasized that only in 2017 and 2018, he received his first salary, children benefit, but 2019 he had not receive anything darn from the company.
“I need help. I have to make them pay my wages, whatever they are supposed to pay. I go to them, they don’t want to listen to me. Even Mittal CEO told me that they will not give me money. They don’t want to see me. So, I came to the Superintendent of Nimba, Ma Kou Meapeh Gono to help me in the process,” he added.
Nahn revealed that as full employee of ArcelorMittal Liberia, he deserves all benefits from the company, but everything has stopped from 2019 up to now.
He also said that Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper Kruah has mandated AML to settle his just benefits but to no avail, such refusal he termed as “Gross disrespectful” — a slap in government authority’s face.
For his part, Muhammad F. Kamara, 61, — a heavy-duty truck driver sustained partial blindness following his accident with a VT21 truck on Mont Gangra. “I started work with ArcelorMittal on February 1, 2014. During the work, around 2017, I had an accident with VT21 right at Mont Gangra, when we opened Mont Gangra newly,” he said.
Kamara disclosed that while operating, the truck lay on his right-hand side and his seatbelt was tied on.
According to him, when the truck lay on his side, he immediately fell straight to the ground on his head. He said, that as a result of the accident, he got wounded in his eye, causing him to develop eye problems daily until it finally resulted in blindness.
“After the accident, before they say a year or two or three, I started experiencing blindness. ArcelorMittal Management gave me the referral to Methodist, for the first time. I went to Methodist in 2020,” he narrated.
From there, he came back to work. While working, he started to experience problem again on the eye. Therefore, the company gave him a referral again. He went as far as the government hospital at JFK.
According to him, after he returned to his job at JFK Hospital, his money spent was never pay back by the company. And that AML only gave him $250US out of $400 medical bill. Kamara detailed his blindness was discovered during working day when his supervisor (Oscar) send him for generator battery, which he could not see despite it being seated in clear area.
“When I went to take the battery, I couldn’t see it, so he became concerned,” he stated. He said his supervisor informed AML senior management that his being on the job was a hazard. “He can’t see,” Kamara said he was sent to JFK for another treatment, but while on treatment management cut down his salary because he stayed long taking treatment.
“I went to labor and the case was decided in my favor,” Kamara stated. “Labor told AML Management to pay me. And they paid me seven months’ money 4,450US dollars plus 14 bags of rice, plus water sacks. They gave it to me in January,” he said. Kamara argued that the company is yet to complete full payment of his benefits and wages summing to $44,386.82 US dollars as ordered by the Ministry of Labor, Deputy Commissioner of Nimba County.
But, he disclosed that contrary to the ruling, AML’s has issued him notice that he has been retired effectively March 31, 2025 thereby bypassing the legal procedure of retirement. “During that two-months; February and March, they said they would pay me, plus my children’s school fee. Surprisingly, they sent my name to Social Security for retirement. Ordinary retirement. I am yet to receive my rightful benefits before retirement,” Kamara added.
Meanwhile, AML”s two ex-employees who got disabled on job have launched passionate call to the Government of Liberia through the Nimba County Administration and the County’s Lawmakers to intervene. Nahn and Kamara highlighted continued violation of workers’ right, the rule of law and Liberia Decent Work Act by ArcelorMittal, urging relevant government authority to stand up for their citizens’ right and protect the rule of law.
