By Dipo Awojobi – About 100 sacked workers of Dangote Cement Factory on Thursday staged a peaceful protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly over allegation of maltreatment by the company.
Protesting under the auspices of Forum of Dangote Truck Officers, the sacked workers, who displayed several placards to drive home their points, urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene in the matter.
Some of their placards read “Dangote used armed soldiers and police to harass truck officers,” “Dangote deceived us into fraudulent scheme and unilaterally cancelled the scheme,” “Protest continues until Dangote Cement meets all our demands,” and “Dangote is richest man in Africa due to slavery.”
In a petition addressed to the Speaker of the House, dated 2nd March and co-signed by Abubakar Ibrahim Kayode as the Chairman and Francis Nwusulor Pius as General Secretary, the workers chronicled how they were employed in May 2016 at Ibeshe Plant of the company.
“In April 2015, the company announced both in print and electronic media a Truck Entrepreneurship Scheme that seeks to empower graduates financially.
“The scheme entailed eventual ownership of a truck each by every successful employee (Truck Officer), who was able to cover 400,000km with the truck,” they said in the petition.
The workers said further in the petition that with the agreement reached with the management of the company, they ought to be paid a monthly renumeration of N60,000 for every Truck Officer including a performance bonus of up to N90,000 monthly target.
They added in the petition that each of them is entitled to compensation not less than a month salary in lieu of notice.
“That our salary be multiplied by the number of trucks managed by each truck officer on a monthly basis and to pay the outstanding balance.
“That the management meets the pension requirement in line with the 2004 pension scheme as amended.
“That for causing us huge personal costs of relocation and other economic loss, we demand compensation/damages be paid to each Truck Officer,” the petition read.
Addressing the protesters, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who said that the House shared the pains of the disengaged workers, added that the Assembly would investigate by hearing from the other party.
Obasa, who was represented by Hon. Bisi Yusuff, the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local) said: ” We will not listen to one part and leave the other. We demand from you, a petition to the House.
“Don’t forget to include materials that will help the House to conduct effective investigation. We will call the management of Dangote Cement to hear from them.
“You need to exercise patience because the House is currently on recess to resume on March 28. Once we resume, we will present your case.
“We will keep you inform after thorough investigation and ensure justice. Whosoever breaches labour law, law of contract as well as offer and acceptance law will be brought to book.”
The speaker, who assured protesters that Dangote remained a ” respected business mogul and Father that listens”, stressing that Dangote had helped the economy greatly.
He urged the protesters to leave for their houses peacefully and not to allow hoodlums to hijack the hijack the protest.
