Textile workers shut down firm over welfare

Organised labour, yesterday, shut down production at Royal Sack Industry, Sango-Ota, Ogun State, as negotiations over workers’ welfare broke down when the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Kirshor Bodani, stopped management from signing the communiqué issued at the end of a meeting with labour leaders.
The 2nd Deputy President, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Babatunde Yusuf; Assistant General Secretary, Emeka Nkwocha; Chief Organising Secretary, Oke Ademola; Women Chairperson, Funmi Issa; Abiodun Aremu of Joint Action Commission, among others, led workers to picket Royal Sack, demanding that the workers be given employment letters, ID cards and compensation for the injured among others, in fulfilment of an agreement reached in 2013.
Following a meeting with the firm’s Factory Manager, Mr. Shalam Raj, and Human Resources Manager, Mr. Pius Gbenga, an agreement was reached that the firm will start giving out employment letters from next week, the eight-month union dues offset and no victimisation of any worker.
However, Mr. Bodani, who was out of the country, called to say the company’s representatives should not sign; the labour leaders then drove out the workers and barricaded the gate.
One of the workers, who refused to give her name, said: “They treat us like slaves. In December last year, a 19-year-old boy lost four fingers and the company did nothing for him. Our monthly pay is N15,000. You can only begin to earn between N20,000 and N25,000 after spending about three years.”