Workplace Report

We recently highlighted the plight of the Dangote workers in Nigeria who were sacked last year for refusing to leave their union. [See Nigeria: Defend victimised Dangote Pasta workers!] In spite of extremely difficult conditions these workers have held out since last year in August, with no pay. They are paying a terrible price for their stand. Here a leader of these workers explains the situation they are in. The campaign has already had some positive effects, but they need the solidarity campaign to be stepped up further.

By Oke Ogunde in Lagos    
Thursday, 15 March 2007

Rosemary Olagoke was the Unit Secretary of the in-house workers' union - National Union of Chemical, Foot, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Product Employees (NUFLANMPE) at Ranbaxy Nigeria Limited, whose job as a production assistant was terminated on June 16th, 2006 for no just cause. The management gave no reason for its action.

Notwithstanding this silence from the management of Ranbaxy as to the reason behind the termination of her appointment, it is a well known fact Rosemary is being victimised for her uncompromising attitude in the cause of using her position as union secretary to defend the basic rights of her fellow workers. Right from four years ago, specifically September 2002, when she was elected along with other members of the unit executive, she has served as a rallying point and a very vocal/focused mouthpiece for the workers at Ranbaxy.

We are now living in a period when employers can no longer survive without attacking the employees, and employees can no longer tolerate further attacks. This is a graphical description of this contemporary society, and the recent victimization of workers in LINDA Manufacturing Company in Ikeja Nigeria gave a very concrete example of what is going on in all factory places all over the world.