Oyo State chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, has alleged that the Poor working conditions and lack of safety policy at Henkel factory were responsible for the death of a UI Student while working there.
OYOINSIGHT.COM reported that Gbadebo Richard, a 300 level student of the department of European Studies, Faculty of Art, University of Ibadan was crushed to death on the 28th of July by a mixing machine at the factory of Henkel Nigeria in Oluyole area of Ibadan, where he works until his death.
However, in a statement by its Secretary, Ayodeji Adigun, SPN alleged that “the fact that the late Richard was a casual worker in the company definitely suggests that the cause of his death is most likely to be the poor and slavery working conditions workers are subjected to.”
“The Henkel Nigeria Limited like Sumal Foods Ltd, Zartech limited, Gx foods limited, iSON among others in the state is notorious for various forms of indecent labour practices and habitual violation of Labour Act. For instance, most of its workforce were recruited under an employment condition that is described as outsourcing or contract employment.
“Outsourcing is just a euphemism adopted by big companies to circumvent labour laws. In practice, it is not anyway different from casualisation which is the condition where workers lack regular status of employment and job security. Under this condition, workers are deprived of their right to pension and trade union through which they can fight for better pay and decent conditions
“The working conditions of the outsourcing/contract workers in HENKEL NIGERIA LIMITED is as poor as earning between N800 and N925 daily. In a clear violation of Section 13(3) of the Labour Act; the contract workers are often forced to work on a daily basis between 9 and 12 hours and never entitled to break. The workers are often compelled to work without adequate working and safety gadgets while the workloads are regularly increased in what is termed as “Firing” and without additional pay
“Worthy to note that all of these poor working conditions inclthe. ng the anti labour practice of casualisation are often imposed on the poor workers for the purpose of enslaving them in order to guarantee huge profit for the capitalist owners. It is this kind of unfortunate and unending chase for profit that simply explains why the management of the HENKEL Nigeria LIMITED uses the poor late Richard, who has no expertise and certified training as a Soap mixing machine operator, to carry out the jobs of qualified machine operator,” the statement signed by the Secretary read in part.
He also stated that the statement issued by the company where it announced that “Richard just slipped into the machine” without stating the underlying terrible working conditions in the company is quite misleading because “it can be misinterpreted to mean that the poor boy died out of negligence.”
Even though the party commended the decision of the Seyi Makinde led administration to seal up the company through the intervention of the Ministry of environment, they charged the government to enact a law through the Oyo State House of Assembly that will prohibit casualization, contract staffing and other indecent work practices in the state.
The Secretary noted that only when this kind of measure is taken will the decision to seal up the company not end up being a ploy to sweep the matter under the carpet.
He, however, maintained that given the pro-capitalist orientation and character of the Engr Seyi Makinde-led government, the party recognise that it will be impossible for the regime to take far-reaching measure that will guarantee an adequate and sustainable improvements in the welfare and living conditions of the poor workers.
Based on this, he wrote that beyond the demand of adequate and sustainable compensation for the family of the late Richard Gbadebo, is also the need for the State’s leadership of NLC and TUC to come up with an holistic programme of action to commence a campaign against casualisation and other indecent labour practices across the State.
“SPN, believes that such a campaign must equally be linked to demand to drop all trumped up criminal and civil charges currently levelled against comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, known as Abbey Trotsky, the acting national chairperson of SPN and Oyo State coordinator of Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ rights (CDWR) for providing leadership for the CDWR campaign against casualisation and indecent labour practices in SUMAL FOOD LIMITED, Ibadan and other companies like GX FOOD LIMITED in the state,” the secretary added.
