“We Worked, Now We’re Abandoned”: Firestone Liberia Allegedly Withholds Retirement Benefits

Margibi County, Liberia: Firestone Liberia, one of Liberia’s largest private employers and a key player in the country’s rubber industry, is facing mounting allegations of labor violations after more than six hundred former employees accused the American-owned company of denying them retirement and social security benefits.

The former workers, many of them retirees, claim they have been left stranded despite years of service to the company. Some allege they were injured on the job and later forced into early retirement, but have still been unable to access benefits they believe are guaranteed under Liberia’s labor and social protection laws.

Several of the retirees accuse Firestone management of refusing engagement, claiming that repeated attempts to seek clarification and resolution were either ignored or met with no formal response.

At the center of the dispute is the claim that Firestone allegedly failed to properly process contributions to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) for affected employees, leaving many without support in retirement. Former workers say the situation has pushed some of them into severe hardship, struggling to meet basic needs despite spending years serving one of Liberia’s most profitable concession companies.

The development has sparked renewed public questions over corporate accountability and the enforcement role of state institutions meant to protect workers, especially within Liberia’s concession sector.

The retirees are now appealing directly to the Ministry of Labor, NASSCORP, and other government bodies to intervene, investigate the alleged violations, and ensure that beneficiaries receive what they are legally entitled to.

As of publication, Firestone Liberia has not issued an official response to the allegations.