BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & TONY NYONG

ORGANISED labour in the nation’s Textile industry, has appealed to Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna, and other Northern governors to intervene in the plights of over 2000 former workers of Kaduna Textiles Limited, KTL, Nortex/Fintex Limited and Arewa Textiles Plc.

Under the umbrella of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers Union, NUTGTWN, lamented that a good number the workers have died in the course of the struggle for payment of their entitlements, saying the continued non-payment of entitlements “poses a lot of security and social problems to the community and the State in general.”

Tracing the plight of the former workers of KTL, Nortex/Fintex Limited and Arewa Textiles Plc, since 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively and efforts by the union to ensure that the workers, get their entitlements paid to no avail, Comrade Ukiri Omakeno, Area Secretary of the Union, in a statement, called on Yakowa to intervene to save the former workers from further death and pains.

A cross section of pensioners at a recent verification exercise

Kaduna Textile Limited

According to him, “In 2010 more protest rallies were also carried out to further draw the attention of government to the plight of the workers and the implementation of the Consent Award. Surprisingly, Abuja has now become a preferred venue for Northern Governors’ Forum, NGF, meetings. On June 17, 2011, the union wrote a letter to the Management requesting an audience to know their plans towards the settlement of the workers’ terminal benefits.

The meeting was held on July 6, 2011. During the meeting, the Management appreciated the efforts of the union and revealed that the unfriendly environment to textile production in the country has made things very difficult for investment.”

“However, the Managing Director stated that one of their priorities was to settle the benefits of the workers. He revealed that what the Management was pursuing was to prevail on the 19 Northern State Governors to pay the Bank’s approved concessionary figure of N400million granted to Kaduna Textiles Limited by First Bank which 16 states have responded. It was agreed that Management should seek audience with the Governor of the State in conjunction with the Union to re-present the issues.

However, after that meeting, one of the states, Plateau State, reportedly paid N8m out of the outstanding N17m remaining N8.5m only. The Union has sent another letter to the governor of Kaduna State, Ibrahim Yakowa requesting for an audience on this and other matters.

Nortex/Fintex Limited

On Nortex/Fintes limited, the union lamented that the matter was taken to a Federal High Court Kaduna, in November 2004 and after over 40 sittings among others, “on Wednesday June 1, 2011, the Federal High Court Judge, Justice M. L. Shuaibu gave his judgement and acknowledged the right of the workers through the union to ask for payment of their entitlements.

He however ruled that it was wrong for the union to ask for winding up of a company that is under receivership. Instantly at the Court premises, the union through the General Secretary issued a press statement rejecting the judgement of the court after over forty (40) sittings by the previous Judge. The union vowed to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.”

“On June 17, 2011 the union wrote to a letter for audience through the Managing Director of the company to facilitate a meeting with the principal shareholders of the company especially Alhaji Aminu Dantata. This was conveyed to them during the Board meeting in July 2011.

“On August 1, 2011, the Board wrote the union on the formation of an ad-hoc committee on Nortex/Finetex to review the situation and the way forward for the two companies and noted the valuable understanding of the union towards the plight of the workers and the company and the decision of the Board to revive the companies. We gathered there is ongoing tabulation of the workers’ terminal benefits. The union is initiating another meeting with the management.”

Arewa Textiles Plc

According to the union, the Arewa Textile Plc crisis started because of non-payment of salaries and other benefits to workers which led to the termination of 342 and summary dismissal of 481 workers respectively by the Management before the dismissed workers reverted to retirement after pressure from the union and intervention by the Ministry of Labour.

“The court cases continue in the following sequences: Industrial Arbitration Panel came up 19th September, 2nd November and 7th December 2006. The attention of the court was drawn to the persistent disobedience of the Receivers, not allowing union access to the company premises for the verification of the workers entitlement as demanded by the Receivers themselves.

“While the court processes proceeds, the panel, however summoned the Receivers to appear and subsequently directed the parties to hold a reconciliation meeting and report the progress in the next adjourned date. The meeting was held and the Receivers agreed with the union that they would provide new keys and padlocks to all gates and doors to Arewa Textiles Plc, which will make easy access of the Union to all necessary documents relative to those computations.

“The case was adjourned to 8th February 2007. The Federal High Court suit No. FHC/KD/CS/43/2005 was also adjourned to 21st March 2007 pending the outcome of the Industrial Arbitration panel. The Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) sitting in Abuja, also ordered both parties; Union Bank Plc and the union, to join forces to source a buyer for the company and bring the proceeds to the Court for disbursement.”

“However, as soon as the information got to the company’s Chairman, he rushed to file a motion in the Federal High Court in Kaduna to stop the ruling of the IAP. The Federal High Court (FHC) Kaduna on June 30, 2009 entered judgment in favour of the Union as per originating summons on behalf of the Union: that the workers are first in line in the settlement of their entitlements before the debenture holders (The Union Bank).

“That the Receivers should pay the workers their outstanding salaries, allowances and benefits. Since it was taken into account that the Receivers cannot renounce a contract entered into before their appointment, the judgment was entered on behalf of the Plaintiff (Union).

“However, the workers’ benefits are yet to be settled as directed till date. The result is that workers of these closed companies are daily subjected to hardship and pains due to non-payment of their benefits. We call on the urgent intervention of the State governor on the matter.”