·        The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and IndustriALL Global Union wishes to express concern on the general state of insecurity in almost all parts of the country and the attendant effects on the development of Nigeria.

·        We salute all the progressive forces and well meaning Nigerians that are working towards ensuring sustainable peace and development of the country.

·        We commend in particular, the Kaduna State Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji (Dr.) Muktar Ramalan Yero for his commitment to peace and security in Kaduna State and for deepening the peace efforts of his predecessor, Late Sir Patrick Yakowa.

·        We commend the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) under the chairmanship of His Excellency, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Executive Governor of Niger State for the effort to address the security challenges in the North.  We also commend the commitment of other Northern Governors towards sustainable peace and development of the Northern States in particular and the nation in general.

·        However, sustainable development of any country or State lies in industrialization and mass job creation. The root of the current crisis in the country is economic and social.

·        It is against this background that the union is disturbed by the continuous closure of Kaduna Textiles Limited since 2002.  Even more worrisome is the continuous delay in settlement of the entitlements of KTL workers by its owner-19 Northern States of the Federation.  KTL workers are suffering untold hardship due to non-payment of their benefits since the unilateral closure of the factory in 2002.

·        The union since September 2005 obtained a court judgment for settlement of the entitlements of the workers amounting to N687,073,346.00. Unfortunately, the management and owners of the company (19 Northern States) are yet to comply with the judgment through settlement of the entitlements of the workers inspite of repeated appeals, rallies and protests by the union.

·        In March 2012, the NGF set up a Committee of 5-Governors headed by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed with Governors of Zamfara, Kano, Bauchi and Borno States as members.  The Committee was mandated to The Committee was mandated to proffer solutions towards the resuscitation of the moribund company.  The outcome of the meeting of that committee is yet to be known.

·        We have held meetings with the Managing Director of NNDC, Dr. Ahmed M. Mohammed as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, General Wushishi (Rtd.) while we continue the pressure on the Northern Governors to settle the entitlements of the workers without further delay.

·        The union sent a reminder letter dated February 25, 2014 to the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Executive Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’Azu Babaginda Aliyu to urgently convene a meeting of critical stakeholders of KTL to discuss about the plight of the workers vis-à-vis the settlement of their benefits as well as the future of the company.

·        We again call on the Northern Governors and the management of Kaduna Textile Limited (KTL) to settle the terminal benefits of KTL workers.

·        We equally call on the management of other closed textile factories in the North particularly Arewa Textiles Plc. to settle the entitlements of their workers without further delay.

·        The point cannot be overstated. These workers have suffered untold hardship due to long lay off from work without pay. Urgent settlement of their entitlements will go a long way in reducing their burden and alleviating their increasing destitution, poverty and desperation capable of causing communal/industrial disharmony. Many of the workers have died as a result of the hardship.

·        But beyond settlement of the entitlements of KTL workers in particular, the Northern Governors must also bring back to life Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL), the oldest textile company in Nigeria and indeed Africa and the proud legacy of the late Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

·       We commend the National Industrial Court for striking out a stay of execution appeal brought before it by the management of Gaskiya Textile Mill Kano, Nigeria. The Lagos Division of the National Industrial Court, NIC, Thursday March 27, 2014 struck out an application for stay of execution brought before it by the management of Gaskiya Textile Plc over payment of N128,394,220.33 gratuities of 465 of its former workers who are members of the union.

·       In the judgment delivered March 27, 2014, the court presided over by justice Kanyip of the NIC struck out the application for stay of the execution of the earlier judgment for lack of merit. The said judgment now paves the way for enforcement of the earlier judgment by the National Industrial Court (NIC).

·       The union had dragged the management of Gaskiya Textiles to the Industrial Arbitration panel, IAP, after failing to secure workers’ benefits through the regular process of collective bargaining.

·       In February 2010, the IAP ruled in favor of the union, asking the management to pay workers their entitlements but the management headed to NIC, seeking to upturn the AIP ruling. After two years of legal battle, justice Bola Olaniyi of the NIC in March 2013 upheld the judgment of the AIP and ordered the Management of Gaskiya Textile Mills to pay the N128, 394,220.33 entitlements of the workers.

·       However, in an attempt to forestall the enforcement of the judgment, the management headed back to NIC, asking for a stay of execution, which was struck out by the NIC following the application filed by the Union.

·       We are satisfied that the long battle for the workers benefits has finally come to an end.  We hope to commence the enforcement of the court judgment immediately.

·        We are happy with the success recorded.  Payment of the benefits of workers of Finetex and Nortex have since commenced. So far, three instalments of N50 million each amounting to N150 million have been paid to the workers out of the N250 million the Directors of the company offered to pay as full and final settlement of gratuity benefits of the workers payable in five instalments of N50m quarterly.

·        Again, we commend Alhaji Aminu Dantata for his singular effort to ensure the payment of the entitlements of the workers.  We also commend our members in Finetex and Nortex for their patience and steadfastness.

·        The union is hopeful that the outstanding two instalments of N50 million Naira each amounting to N100 million will be paid as soon as possible in accordance with the agreement.

Sylvester Chimezie