Campain for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, CDWR, has called for the payments of all entitlements and benefits due to some workers sacked and dismissed by the management of GX Food limited.
GX Food Company, according to CDWR, is owned by late former governor Abiola Ajimobi
CDWR made the call in a statement, on Monday, signed by its state Coordinator, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye.
He wrote,”Barely three days after the demise of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the ex-Governor of Oyo State who also doubled as the owner and Chairman of the GX FOOD LIMITED, no fewer than 15 poor workers of the company were sacked by the Mr Babatunde Arowosegbe -led management of the company without payment of entitlements and benefits due to them while another two poor workers were arbitrarily dismissed.The two dismissed workers are Mr Adegoke Ayobami and Mr Quasim Olakunle.
“They were dismissed without fair hearing. They were given query letters on the 29th of June, 2020 by the Company’s Human Resource Manager, Mr Olugbade Oladapo and compelled to respond under duress within 20 minutes. The allegation was that they divulged private information that borders on the confidentiality of the company on their respective private page on the Facebook. Subsequently, they were issued a dismissal letter on the same day of 29th of June, 2020 specifically at the point of submitting their response to the query.”
Comrade Abiodun noted that CDWR condemned “specifically the act of forcing workers to respond to query under duress and their subsequent dismissal based on the same response without creating sufficient avenues for fair hearing and following the labour act” and demanded an immediate reversal of the dismissal.
He wrote further, “Before the arbitrary dismissal of workers and termination of the appointment, workers in GX FOOD LIMITED had been at loggerhead with Mr Babatunde Arowosegbe-led management of the company over indecent labour practices and violation of labour act. These include: arbitrary deductions of 50% of their monthly salaries from June 2019 to March 2020; non-payment of their monthly salary from April to June 2020 and employment of workers with terms of employment which are at variance with the Labour Act.
“We condemn the termination of the affected GX workers without the payment of their deduction made from their salary from June 2019 to March 2020 including their monthly salary from April to June 2020. We, therefore, demand the immediate payment of all these entitlements and benefits.”
CDWR then called on the leadership of organised labour in Oyo state, NLC TUC and ULC as well as pro-masses organisations and activists to intervene and ensure workers get their entitlements and end the indecent labour practice at GX Food Limited.
However, when OYOINSIGHT.COM contacted Human Resource Manager of the company, Mr. Olugbade Oladapo, he declined to comment on the issue saying “I have nothing to say.”
Attempts to reach the General Manager,Mr Babatunde Arowosegbe failed because his number was not reachable.
OYOINSIGHT.COM was also unable to confirm if truly former Oyo State Governor was the company’s Chairman as claimed by CDWR.
