ALSCON workers down tools

Production at the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State has been disrupted by a workers' strike over the non implementation of a 25-percent salary increase.

The company is run by Rusal, a Russian firm which won the bid to take over its operations under the federal government privatisation scheme in 2007.

The workers, who have been on strike for more than one week, said they would not return to work until "a collective agreement reached between the workers and management is signed and implemented by management."

Blocking entry into the factory, the workers claimed that management had earlier accepted to implement the salary increment but backed down at the last minute citing lack of budgetary provisions. 

Displaying placards with various inscriptions, such as 'Nigerians are not fools', 'No gratuity, No Rusal', and 'Enough of this Zombie', among others, the workers alleged that the condition of service was poor and discriminatory. They also alleged that the company stopped the payment of leave allowance and maternity leave allowance; a development they said was unacceptable.

Kelechi Otuh, the chairman of ALSCON joint labour movement, said that while the management had agreed to implement the 25 per cent salary increment on the basic salary, workers were insisting that it should be across the board, adding that what the workers were asking for amounted to "a little over N3,000 to each of the workers."

According to him, several attempts at negotiations involving both the Akwa Ibom State government and officials of the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) at various locations did not yield any positive results. 

The workers also demanded that 79 Nigerians who have been engaged as labourers for the past four years in the company should be employed while the management should approve the payment of terminal benefits to workers.

Otuh also alleged that the management has not many any new investment since taking over the company many years ago adding that it was not surprising that the company was operating at 12 percent capacity.

When contacted, the company's Director of Government and Public Affairs, Albert Dyabin, said a statement on the face off between the management and workers would be issued.