Intels Nigeria Limited, a company reportedly owned by ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubarkar has incurred the wrath of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria for laying of about 600 of its workforce.
The union has therefore issued a seven-day ultimatum to the management of Intels to withdraw the sack letters issued to the embattled staff.
The affected workers were said to be in its Rivers and Warri operational areas.
The MWUN said the company, would face total shut down of its operations nationwide should management refuse to act accordingly.
The Secretary-General of MWUN, Felix Akingboye, issued the threat in a letter to the management of Intels Nigeria Limited in Onne Port through its Regional Human Resources Manager, Mr. M. Ndon and obtained by journalists in Abuja on Wednesday evening.
The letter reads, “Over the years, the welfare benefits of your employees (Intels Nig. Ltd.) 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.”
