The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Right, CDWR, has called for a probe of the death of one Gbadebo Richards at Henkel Nigeria Limited, producer of WAW soap in Ibadan the Oyo State, capital.
Richard, a 21-year old, 300 level student of the University of Ibadan, was reported to have been crushed to death by a soap mixing machine he was operating while working on a night shift in the company.
CDWR also called for the payment of adequate compensation to the family for the loss.
The statement issued on Monday by the group’s national chairperson, Rufus Olusesan, and the publicity secretary, Chinedu Bosah, reads in part:
“Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) commiserates with the family, friends and demands adequate compensation for the family. We also demand an independent investigation by a committee composed by elected representatives of trade unions, ministry of labour officials and pro-masses organizations to diligently investigate the circumstances surrounding Gbadebo Richard’s death, the culpability of the management of the company, recommend appropriate sanctions to the company management if found culpable and proffer ways to better protect workers and prevent future mishaps.”
The group said the pursuit of cheap labour by the management of Henkel Nigeria Limited meant that late Gbadebo Richard was forced to operate a soap mixing machine, an aspect of work, he had no training or certification to do.
It said that that was what was obtainable in overwhelmingly most factories in Nigeria wherein workers were employed on low and precarious working conditions and were forced to carry out work they had no expertise for, including working without safety work tools and in an unsafe environment.
“These are responsible for deaths and injuries in many factories,” the group said.
The group recalled that in 2002, 37 Nigerian workers lost their lives during a fire outbreak at the West Africa Rubber Limited situated at Ikorodu, Lagos State.
According to CDWR, the death occurred due to slavery working condition wherein workers on night shift were normally locked up and so when fire broke out on September 16, 2002, they were trapped and lives were regrettably lost while many workers also sustained different degrees of burns and injuries.
The group said despite the horrendous crime, government did not mete out the necessary and appropriate sanctions either to the management of the company or its owners.
The group added: “The usual practice of most factory and workplace managers/owners is to place workers on a casual, outsourcing contract employment status that lacks permanent employment status and better working conditions.
“Besides, poor wage, workers are equally denied rights to a trade union, basic entitlements including disengagement benefits, medical, leave allowances/bonus, and other basic allowances/entitlements.
“Poor working conditions vis-à-vis casualization has become a norm and widely practiced to guarantee huge profit for the bosses. The trade unions leaders are failing in their responsibility to resist these precarious working conditions while some trade unions like the Food Union (NUFBTE) have overtime assisted management to consolidate these anti-labour practices at the expense of Nigerian workers.
“The Ministry of Labour cannot also be exonerated from this kind of collaborationist policy as it always sides with managements who violate labour laws and perpetuate all manners of anti-labour practices.”
CDWR called on the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, as well as their affiliates to lead a relentless struggle against casualisation, outsourcing, contract staffing and other anti-labour practices in order to guarantee better pay and working conditions for Nigeria Workers.
“We demand appropriate sanctions to be meted out to companies engaging in precarious working conditions. Fundamentally, Nigerian workers have to struggle to enthrone a working people government with a socialist programme which will, among other things, enable the control and management of societal resources by the working masses to guarantee better living standards and conditions for all,” CDWR said.
