Workers of a prominent boat building company in Port Harcourt; General Metal Product (GMP) have protested against alleged non-payment of 19 months’ salary owed them by the company, even as they indicted former military President General Ibrahim Babangida, and General Halilu Akilu (Rtd), who they claimed are the owners of the company.
Workers of a prominent boat building company in Port Harcourt; General Metal Product (GMP) have protested against alleged non-payment of 19 months’ salary owed them by the company, even as they indicted former military President General Ibrahim Babangida, and General Halilu Akilu (Rtd), who they claimed are the owners of the company.
Even though the protest was peaceful, there was heavy presence of the police, even as the protesting workers chanted labour solidarity songs and anti-IBB, Akilu songs, demanding for payment of outstanding payments owed them.
The protesting workers under the aegis of Steel and Engineering Worker’s Union of Nigeria (SEWUN) Rivers State Chapter barricaded the entrance of the company situated at plot 76 Ordinance Road, Trans Amadi, in Port Harcourt.
Speaking during the protest, Chairman of SEWUN, GMP, Port Harcourt Branch; Comrade Echikwa Andrew alleged that the company has chosen to work at opposite direction of the agreement reached on settlement of their salaries. He noted that in each occasion management always renege from their promises.
Comrade Andrew said that the impact of this has been suffering and hardship inflicted on the workers and their families.
“Our children are out of school. We can no longer pay our house rents. Some of us have been given quit notice while others have been evicted from their homes for non – payment rents, forcing them to send their families back to their respective villages”, Comrade Andrew lamented.
He noted that the workers have used all means to make the management see reasons, but to no avail. “What we now want is that the owners of the company, former Military president of Nigeria General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) and Gen Akilu (Rtd) should step in and pay us our severance benefits, so that we can go, the SEWUN, GMP Port Harcourt Chairman pleaded.
On his part, Comrade Lawrence Morka, Secretary of the group said they had previously communicated to their National Secretariat on their predicament, but said all their efforts to get management to intervene failed. He recalled that in March 2009, all agreement to pay appropriate debts met a deadlock.
Also, Comrade Benkor Godfry, State Secretary of the union, GMP , said he is in total support of the protest, because the management does not respect agreements.
Another aggrieved worker; Emeke Nkwor said the workers are at a cross road. “If they are tired, let them pay us off, so that we can go and do other things”, Nkwor said. .
“For me, management is hiding something from owners of the company, IBB and Akilu”, he said. We are just using this medium to draw the attention of IBB, so that he can intervene and resolve the frustrations of workers in GMP Port Harcourt. Many things are wrong in our different families. There is hunger, there are frustrations. Our children are out of school and we can no longer pay our accommodation rents” Emeke Nkwor stated.
Meanwhile our correspondent gathered but said more negotiations with the aggrieved workers are billed for this week by the management.
The GMP products are builders of boats, which off-shore operations rely upon for drilling activities in the Creeks of Niger Delta.
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