TUC Pickets Pabod Breweries

The leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Food Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOBSSA) in the state have started picketing the Pabod Breweries over alleged victimisation of the workers of the company by the management.

According to the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Chika Onuegbu, the organised labour embarked on the industrial action to drive home the point that the management of  Pabod Breweries had no moral justification to victimise workers that participated in the nationwide January strike.

He said “the January nationwide strike was a national strike not peculiar to the workers of Pabod Breweries for the company’s management to victimise the workers and slash their salaries for participation in the nationwide strike”.

Comrade Onuegbu further stated that, “TUC and FOBTOBSSA members are here in solidarity with our members in Pabod Breweries, stressing that the picketing was indefinite until the company’s management decides to dialogue and rescind their obnoxious decision”.

The TUC boss stressed that the company’s management was advised by the Federal Ministry of Labour to rescind its decision on the issue but the management remained adamant.

It would be recalled that Pabod Breweries’ management had on 25th January 2012, through a circular titled “Implementation of the no work, no pay rule” signed by the company’s finance director, Andries Plessis, threatened to apply the rule for workers that participated in the nationwide industrial strike early this year.

The company said such rule was recognised in Nigeria and by international law, stressing that no negotiation would be entered into regarding the subject.

Earlier, all efforts made to speak with the company’s Human Resources Manager, Mr. Benjamin Ogunjobi proved abortive.

Philip Okparaji