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Labour pickets sugar firm over alleged anti-labour activities

By Gloria Nwafor
17 March 2022   |   4:03 am
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) have picketed Dogans Sugar Limited over alleged anti-labour practices.

.• We are not ready to unionise, says company
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) have picketed Dogans Sugar Limited over alleged anti-labour practices.

Labour accused the firm, which is located in Amuwo Odofin, Festac axis, with its headquarters in Ukraine, of alleged inhuman treatment of workers.

Led by NLC Lagos State Chairman, Funmi Sessy, the unions also accused the management of the company of sexually harassing its female workers and subjecting them to modern-day slavery, among others.

Sessy said the protest, which began as early as 7am on Monday, was aimed at curbing anti-workers’ interest against Nigerian employees.

She alleged that the company was involved in anti-labour activities such as de-humanisation and exploitation of workers.

She said the NLC and NUFBTE were invited to come and rescue the workers as the issue had been on since last year, with no positive result.

According to her, the unions had involved the Ministry of Labour and were at the point of signing agreement, which will liberate the workers only for the management to refuse signing the document.

She said: “We are hdefend the interest of the workers by closing down the company over anti-workers actions against them by their employers. The female workers are sexually harassed. The firm has refused to allow them unionise.”

Speaking also, General Secretary, NUFBTE, Mike Olanrewaju, said the union received several petitions from the workers over alleged anti-labour practices going on at the company.

He said the union carried out an investigation and all allegations were confirmed with evidence.

“We have had three meetings with the management of Dogan Sugar Limited and we had an agreement. All of us have signed the agreement except the management of the company, who refused to sign it at the last minute. The fact is that the workers are suffering. They are going through what we call modern slavery,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, the Operations Manager, Dogans Sugar Limited, Paul Ekele, said the company has never had any meeting with the union.

He said the company or the workers are not interested in unionisation.

“The point is that this company is not unionised and we have never received any complain from our workers or maltreated them. The union cannot impose anything on a company that is not unionised,” he said.

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