Unless urgent step is taken to meet their demand, the country food scarcity may shake the Christmas period , as workers in food industry, based on the lackadaisical attitude of their employers, from today, Monday December 11, 2017 vowed to embark on nationwide industrial strike.

The workers, under the aegis of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Associaiton (FOBTOB), cited the refusal of their employers, under the umbrella, Association of Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), refusal to review already expired biannual collective agreement of salaries and fringe benefits as reason for the strike.

According to the National President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye and General Secretary, Comrade Iji Solomon, the strike was sequel to the Association’s public protest of December 7, 2017, where they expressed their displeasure to their employer, AFBTE as a meeting held on Friday December 8, 2017 with the employers met a brick wall.

The Association President stated that the meeting which was an effort “to reconcile our interests after several disagreements did not yield results. Because discussions broke down once again as the AFBTE maintained the position that it is satisfied with the current status-quo and would be willing to continue discussion early in 2018, except FOBTOB will accept its offer of 14 per cent as opposed to our 20 per cent demand which according to our industry records is the lowest rate in the past 17 years.”



The FOBTOB helmsman pointed out that as members of AFBTE could meet the demand since majority of the employers are multinationals such as Flour Mills of Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria Plc, A & P Pladis Foods, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Ajinomoto, Deli Foods, Dangote Industries, Nestle, Cadbury Nigeria, Dufil Prima Indomie, FOBTOB finds it difficult it unacceptable to continue to discriminate against our members in the payment of salaries and fringe benefits after having met their targets and remained profitable.

“It is on record that throughout our industry, all other cadres have in the past months enjoyed a review in their salaries and fringe benefits while the senior staff and managers have been tactically abandoned.”



Hence, according to him, the Union is from today, Monday, December 11, 2017, called on members nationwide “to embark on a national strike action to compel the AFBTE to reach an equally acceptable agreement from today, 11th December, 2017 as from 12am prompt.”

http://allcitynews.com.ng/food-scarcity-looms-as-fobtob-begins-nationwide-indefinite-strike/

Decembers and strikes has become yuletide gift in the Nigerian economy.

This too shall pass!

Petrol is scarce;

Food is scarce;

The president was scarce some months ago;

The budget was also scarce sometime ago;

Soldiers are scarce to fight BH.

Helluva kawntry!