By Bose Adelaja

No fewer than 27 workers of Nichemtex Limited, Ibeshe, Ikorodu area of Lagos State were yesterday, sacked by the company.

ASUU leadership keeps mum after meeting with Buhari

The 27 textile workers comprise 25 junior workers and two senior workers of whom the company suspected could be part of a peaceful protest embarked upon by the junior workers of the company in the month of December 2019.

Earlier, the management of the company had pasted a notice on the company’s wall stating that the appointment of the 27 workers had been terminated.

The letter also stated that the under listed workers should report at the Security Office of the Company yesterday, to collect their Termination letters and entitlement, between the hours of 9am and 12pm.

Also, the workers were requested to come with the company’s identity cards and any other company’s property in their possession.

The notice copied the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ipakodo Division, The Textile Union Zonal Office, the Branch Union Chairman and Senior Staff Association but as at 4pm of yesterday, none of the workers has collected the Termination letters on the account that the company did not pay all their entitlements.

\Vanguard had reported in the month of December 2019 that over 100 junior workers of the company had shut down the company for five days over improved welfare condition.

They were protesting three years unremitted pension, unpaid 13th month bonus and general welfare of the workers across the country but as at yesterday, some of the workers claimed none of the conditions have been met.

As at yesterday, skeletal services were noticed to be ongoing in the company reference to an unsigned notice without letterhead pasted on the wall that the management needed time to do stock taking and has decided to close down the mill.

The notice also faulted the December peaceful protests describing it as illegal and obstruction of activities by some workers in the mill.

However, a representative of the workers Mr Michael Odidi claimed the rights of the workers have been denied. He said, ‘’ the 2019 annual increment added N200 and N400 to the workers’ salaries while the expatriates enjoy better welfare package.  For instance, a bottle of drink goes for N10 while the citizens buy same product at N80. Also, major productions are done by the citizens but the expatriates do not undergo stress,’’

Vanguard gathered that the poor welfare condition of the workers began after the demise of its owner Cha-Chi-Ming in 2017 and his daughter Cha-Ming took over the affairs of the company.

Odidi said some of the workers have been allegedly deformed due to series of injuries they sustained in the course o their primary duties.

He said there was lack of safety kits for the production workers and this has exposed them to a lot of hazards.

Contacted, Nichemtex Personnel Manager Mr. Andrew Ogunmakin queried the reporter’s interest on the report adding, ‘’what concerns you in this story? As far as I am concerned, work is moving on and there is peace in my company,’’

NCS board approves upgrade of college to training, doctrine school

Founded over four decades ago by a Chinese, Nichemtex Limited with branches in Funtua, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna States was adjudged to be the largest textile company in Africa with the population of over 2,000 workers across the country but this has gradually reduced to 600 due to downsizing of the workers.

List of the sacked personnel’s include:

Vanguard