Association celebrates court’s reinstatement of 28 sacked workers

The Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) has welcomed the reinstatement of 28 members of the union, sacked by their employers three years ago for belonging to the union.

The workers were re-instated by the National Industrial Court (NIC) in a judgment delivered on March 22 in Abuja.

The President of FOBTOB, Mr Quadri Olaleye, told reporters in Lagos on Wednesday that the judgment was an outstanding victory for the labour movement.

Olaleye said that the 28 workers were sacked for no other reason than that they belonged to FOBTOB.

He described the judgment as a great relief to the workers and their families, whom he said, had been deprived of their dignity and constitutional rights by their employers.

The FOBTOB chief said the judgment would serve as deterrent to other employers currently victimising workers for belonging to unions.

Olaleye said that the association would leave no stone unturned in the fight against injustice for any of its members.

”The NIJ, sitting in Abuja on March 22, gave judgment in favour of FOBTOB against Grand Cereals Nigeria Ltd. and Spring Waters Nigeria Ltd.

”The matter spanned over a period of three years before the Industrial Arbitration Panel and the NIC,” the union leader said.

He said that the association was happy that the workers would also get their salaries following the ruling, delivered by Justice O.Y. Anuwe of the NIC in suit No. NICN/ABJ/325/2016.

The unionist said that the NIC also gave a judgment that the two companies should pay arrears in salaries and allowances to all the re-engaged workers from the date of their sacking till judgment day.

Olaleye said that the companies were also ordered to pay the backlog of check-off dues to FOBTOB for the last three years.