jeff juwana
Moderator
NATIONAL Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has asked the owners and management of Arewa Textiles Plc, closed since 2005, to pay workers their N1.075 billion entitlements.
The union in a statement detailed its efforts at making the owners of the company to pay the entitlements since 2005 including legal action, where Union Bank Plc joint receivers’ pleaded to settle the issue out of court.
NUTGTWN in a statement by Chimezie Sylvester, its Deputy General Secretary, lamented that both parties could not reach an agreement, saying in the course of the Federal High Court’s proceeding, the trade dispute declared against Arewa Textile Plc in May 2004 came up for mention on 14th February 2006 and 25th April 2006. On the above dates, the Union had its memorandum prepared and submitted to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the court summoned the Receivers to appear before it and they did.
“The Receivers having gone through the Union memorandum which prayed the IAP to have its member’s terminal benefits paid with union dues deducted, requested verification of the claims and details of individual computation of entitlements. The court granted this request and advised that the computerized individual benefits of members in the employment of the company with union dues should be submitted to the IAP on June 12, 2006.
“At the resumed sitting, the Union intimated the Court that the details requested could only be possible if the Receivers could open the company for the Union representatives to access the staff files. The Receivers initially agreed to the request but later failed to open the company and staff records could not be accessed.”
The union in a statement detailed its efforts at making the owners of the company to pay the entitlements since 2005 including legal action, where Union Bank Plc joint receivers’ pleaded to settle the issue out of court.
NUTGTWN in a statement by Chimezie Sylvester, its Deputy General Secretary, lamented that both parties could not reach an agreement, saying in the course of the Federal High Court’s proceeding, the trade dispute declared against Arewa Textile Plc in May 2004 came up for mention on 14th February 2006 and 25th April 2006. On the above dates, the Union had its memorandum prepared and submitted to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the court summoned the Receivers to appear before it and they did.
“The Receivers having gone through the Union memorandum which prayed the IAP to have its member’s terminal benefits paid with union dues deducted, requested verification of the claims and details of individual computation of entitlements. The court granted this request and advised that the computerized individual benefits of members in the employment of the company with union dues should be submitted to the IAP on June 12, 2006.
“At the resumed sitting, the Union intimated the Court that the details requested could only be possible if the Receivers could open the company for the Union representatives to access the staff files. The Receivers initially agreed to the request but later failed to open the company and staff records could not be accessed.”
