Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has condemned
The management of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited and Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Uba for owing workers four years salaries and over 10 year pension.
In a statement by Comrade Rufus Olusesan, National Chairperson and Comrade Chinedu Bosah National Publicity Secrecretary, the group said:
“Before Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah and the management stopped paying salaries in 2016, the salaries were paid in a staggered manner leaving backlog at every point in time. He also does not pay by payslip, he transfers money into workers’ bank account without itemizing the breakdown of the salary/allowance components and this method allowed the shortchanging of workers.
“The management had attempted to disengage workers in an unlawful and distasteful manner having refused to pay salaries since 2016. Workers had three meetings with Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah on Thursday, August 20, 2020, Friday, September 18, 2020 and Tuesday September 1, 2020, but the meetings turned out as an attempt to coerce and arm-twist workers into accepting 6 months’ salaries instead of 46 months arrears. What transpired at the meeting was rather dehumanizing for workers as phones were seized and switched off in a militarized/policed atmosphere amidst intimidation. The management and Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah has refused to enter into negotiation with workers aimed at settling this matter.
“We approached Senator Ubah and the management of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited to pay the outstanding salaries and pension or enter into a negotiation with representatives of workers but he did not respond. It is stunningly disappointing for a sitting Senator and aspiring Governor of Anambra State to treat Nigerian workers in a despicable manner. CDWR demands the payment of backlog unpaid salaries and pension to all workers without further delay and an end to all forms of intimidation, harassment and other indecent labour practices.
“Only a few workers were adequately documented and were issued employment letters which is a violation of Section 7 of the Labour Act which states that workers must be documented within three months of employment. Human Resources Manager, Mr M.C.K Ubah issued employment letters to workers in 2010 having been employed to restructure the company but he was sacked by Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah for issuing employment letters and most of the letters were retrieved by subterfuge and force. The second attempt was in December 2013 which suffered a similar fate as in 2010 as the process was botched and deliberately undermined by Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah. It is obvious Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah consciously refused to issue employment letters to evade liability and cheat workers.
“The pension Act of 2004 and as amended in 2014 states that all workers in an establishment that has 15 or more employees are mandated to enlist into the Contributory Pension Reform Scheme in line with Section 2 (2) of the Pension Reform Act. Capital Oil and Gas Industry Limited has over 500 workers but the management and Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah stoutly refused to enlist the workers into the pension scheme despite request for it. Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah had undermined workers’ right to pension having worked for several or many years. CDWR demands the payment of workers’ pension for the period of employment.”