…Workers Down Tools, Calls For Reinstatement
…Mgt Invites Airport Police
Airlines that have booked for in-flight food from Airline Services Limited (ASL) may not have any to serve their passengers as workers in the catering company have refused to work following the sack of the Chairman of the Union, Sule Muniru and the Quality Assurance Manager, Mr Habiliment Ehimien, who had spent 16 years in the company
According to one of the workers, who spoke to AbelNews on the condition of anonymity stated that the chairman of the internal union was sacked for daring to fight for the welfare of the workers.
She added that the union has written to the police and the Ministry of Labour about the issue and how workers in the company were being oppressed by the management.
She stated that the matter became worse with the arrival of Laurent Moussard a representative of Newrest, a catering company based in France to take over from the present Chief Executive Officer of ASL.
Laurent, she stated took over of the helms of affairs because the France company has the lion shares in ASL.
On how many workers have been sacked apart from the union chairman, she said that the Quality Manager, Abulimen Ehimien was also fired alleged by the red eye representative of the French company Laurent Moussard.
When AbelNews visited the premises of ASL, a detachment of men from the Nigerian Police from the Airport Police Command was seen at the gate of the company to maintain peace.
Though, AbelNews correspondent was not allowed to go into ASL premises as the gate was locked while the angry workers were seen singing solidarity songs demanding for the reinstatement of the two workers that were sacked.
The Secretary of the internal union, Comrade Alex Oniku confirmed the development, adding that the workers decided to stop working because the management sacked the chairman of the union for demanding for improved welfare for the workers and Quality Assurance Manager of the company, Abulimen Ehimien .
He stated that nobody knows how many people the management would sack or who will be the next victim ,adding that it was based on this that the workers decided to stop working until these sacked were reinstated by the management led by Laurent Moussard
According to him, “There is ia crisis between the management and the union and the general workers in Lagos. Today, the management decided to terminate the appointment of the chairman of the union and we believe it is because of the crisis that is on or the collective bargaining that we have been doing with the management. We have been threatening to go to strike because of this, we have given the management and the management failed to look into the matter. And all these while the management has been going about threatening the staff “.
He continued, “The management has been monitoring the executive of the union .All these while we have been preaching peace to the management not to allow this to happen but unfortunately the management sacked the union chairman and a manager. We are fighting for a review of our condition of service, justice and incessant intimidation by the management.”