UNION STAGED A PEACEFUL PROTEST AGAINST CLOSURE OF UNITED NIGERIAN TEXTILES (UNT) PLC BY LASEPA
United Nigerian Textiles Plc is presently one of the largest textile factories in the Country with a staff strength of over 3,000 workers.
Despite the challenges being faced by industries in the Country, the mill has tried to remain in operations until recently when the officials of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) locked it up since Tuesday, 26th July, 2011 on the allegation of chemical pollution of the community river. All entreaties to LASEPA and Lagos State Government to see reason and save the jobs of the over 3,000 workers proved abortive as the place is still under lock and key.
It is worthy of note that UNT Plc has fulfilled up to 90% of the requirements of LASEPA including taking measures to reduce the effect of the pollution of the community river. This fact is verifiable and LASEPA has also testified to this.
However, on Monday, 8th August 2011 at about 5.00pm, LASEPA officials came to reopen the factory only to hurriedly come back in the morning of Tuesday, 9th August, 2011 to shut it on the pretext that the Governor, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola will want to re-open it personally same day on 9th August, 2011 at 10.00am. The officials pleaded with the Management to understand and not let anyone know they had come to reopen the place at the first instance. The Management waited in vain for the arrival of the Governor and up till date, the factory has remained under lock and key.
On Union’s side, we have been monitoring the situation with repeated calls and visits to the factory. On the 5th of August 2011, the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) through the General Secretary and Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu mni wrote an appeal to His Excellency, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN on the need to reopen the factory and save the jobs of over 3,000 workers.
In the letter to the Governor, the Chairman of UNT Plc, Madeline Wong appealed for the re-opening of the company as well as highlighted efforts made to keep the company in operations despite the unfriendly business environment.
To protest the continued closure, the Union mobilised workers from the textile factories around Lagos and staged a peaceful protest led by the General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu mni. to LASEPA’s office on Thursday 25th August 2011.
During the protest, the officials of LASEPA led by the General Manager met with Union representatives promising to reopen the factory. Subsequently, the General Manager of LASEPA led the Union to the Commissioner’s office in the Ministry of Environment where talks were held and it was resolved that the factory will be opened but the factory must ensure compliance to environmental laws and regulations.
The protest was a huge success because same day (25th August 2011) the factory was reopened by LASEPA.
