The Use of Forced Labor in Fernando Po
During the Fernando Po Crisis, Liberia provided laborers to Spain, France, and England. The laborers worked for these European countries in Fernando Po. The Americo-Liberian government would received about 6 to 8 British Pounds for each head sent to Fernando Po. The reason Liberia provided labor was because it was going bankrupt, and they needed a source of income, which came in the form of native labor.
Thousands of boys and young men were taken by the Liberian government to work on Fernando Po. The young males got paid only one British Pound per month, or the equivalent of about $1.50 in US dollars. Yet it cost about two Pounds per month to afford their food rations and to travel to and from the island. Therefore, the labor, although not officially slavery, was the equivalent because the men worked against their will, and the workers ended up losing money because of expenses.
During the investigation of the Fernando Po Crisis, a journalist interviewed Liberian Laborers for evidence of labor abuse. The laborers said they were put to work from 6 a.m until 11 a.m, got a break, and put back to work from 1 p.m until 6 p.m. This 10 hour workday in scorching heat was unjust and dangerous to their health. Their living conditions were harsh as well; the journalist described their sleeping quarters as "fifty boys being packed close together on beds of cocoa staves and banana leaves."