Union gives Intel seven-day ultimatum to recall sacked workers

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) on Wednesday gave the integrated logistics firm, Intels Nigeria Limited, a seven-day ultimatum to recall 600 staff sacked recently by the company.

The Secretary-General of the union, Felix Akingboye, who gave the directive in a letter to the Intels Regional Human Resources Manager, Mr. M. Ndon, said the company faces a total shut down of its operations nationwide if its management refused to recall the sack workers.

He added that the affected workers were in the company’s operational areas in Rivers and Warri, Delta State.

MWUN said: “Over the years, the welfare benefits of your employees (Intels Nigeria Limited) and that of your subsidiary Company, AMS, has always been the product of joint negotiation between your management and the union. In other words, the employees of the Principal (Intels Nigeria Ltd) and its subsidiary AMS enjoy the same welfare benefits.

“Recently, your management declared about 30 of its employees redundant and the union was duly consulted, and a joint communiqué between management and the union was issued after due negotiation. Regrettably, however, we are informed that your management has terminated its contract with AMS which has led to over 600 workers (who are our members) being declared redundant without due recourse to the union for the negotiation of their terminal benefits.

“Letters of termination/redundancy, we are informed, had already been served on the workers. This unfair labour practice is not acceptable to us.

“I have been directed to issue your management with a seven-day notice, effective from the date of this ultimatum, within which to withdrawal all the letters of termination/redundancy served on the workers and recall them to duty, otherwise, we shall be compelled to withdraw our services from your terminal at the expiration of the notice.

“We demand that status quo ante should remain pending when a management/union meeting is convened to negotiate their exit and payment of terminal benefits.”