By Foster Obi
Intels Nigeria Limited is in a tensed state as workers of the company protesting that their entitlements be paid has promised total shutdown of the company if their demands were not met.
Due to this tensed atmosphere which began Monday leading to the blocking of company gate by the workers to show their displeasure over nonpayment of their entitlements, INTELS management called the Union president Mr Sunny Atakpo and others to Abuja on Tuesday for negotiations.
Investigation by Economywachng.com showed that meeting ended in a deadlock as the Union president returned back from Abuja yesterday after the negotiation vowing that the strike must go on.
In a briefing he held with workers in front of INTELS corporate headquarters building known as 7SB at Onne port, the Union executives told the workers that the management does not seem to show any serious commitment to address the issue of payment of terminal benefit brought to the table.
The Union executive therefore advised the workers to go home that they needed to follow due process as enshrined in the labour law. The law according to them states that they need to do a 3 days warning strike first, which by implication ended yesterday and will be followed up with a 7 days ultimatum.
Atakpo said that if after observing the 7 days ultimatum, the INTELS management refuses to address the issue at stake, then the workers will have no option but to go full blast.
He urged the workers to come out in their numbers with their cooking pots, kettles, firewoods, food stuffs, mats, pillows etc after the 7 days ultimatum if the management fails to meet up their demands.
He also urged the workers to unite as one indivisible family during this speculated strike as they (workers) intend to bring down and paralyse the operational bases of the company.
The Union president promised that the management must bow to workers demand or companies activities will be brought to a halt come next week.
He advised every worker to come out in mass to fight for their right, as a worker is entitled to his wages.
Intels Nigeria Limited provides comprehensive integrated logistics services for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. The company which had a running battle with the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) over contract violation has had its services depressed since this government came to power. Analysts believe that the NPA management hit INTELS because of the political ambition of its founder, Ahaji Abubakar Atiku, which NPA management has continuously denied.
