Protest turns bloody as police tear gas workers of Korean firm, X-pression

By Ali Smart . . .

An otherwise peaceful protest by staff of Linda Manufacturing Company, a Korean firm in Lagos, makers of popular hair accessory, X-pression, turned violent on Thursday as policemen used tear gas to disperse the protesting workers.

Ripples was reliably informed that a lady, identified simply as Aina, was hit by a tear-gas canister in the face.

The protest, which started at about 8am, was staged by the workers of the company to register their disapproval of the alleged sack of 10 workers through courier.

While the police used tear gas to disperse the protesting workers from the company, a tear-gas canister hit Aina in the face, damaging the bridge of her nose.

In reaction, the workers destroyed some equipment and computer systems in the company.

Speaking with Ripples, the General Secretary, National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), Comrade Douglas Adiele, said the union is set to picket the firm over the sacking of their workers without due consultation.

According to him, the union received information from workers that the management of the company is already sending letters of disengagement to staff, using courier service.

He said the workers had been given targets to complete about 350 tasks in a day, which many of the workers had been unable to achieve.

According to Adiele, workers who are unable to complete the tasks are given demerits and when the demerits have reached 27 points, they are disengaged.

“We are not saying that they should not disengage their staff, but it should be done in a proper way. Due process must be followed. For the management to be sending sack letters to their staff through courier without due consultation with the staff and the union is wrong. This is not acceptable,” he said.

“This is a company we have been having issues with for a long time. We have been having problems with the company because of their anti-labour policies such as unattainable target set for their staff. We have heard of shoddy treatment of their staff, among others. We want to say enough is enough. We have also written to the appropriate quarters like the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige”, he said.

A staff of the company, Mr Vincent Victor, also alleged that the company usually sack workers, or seize their salaries whenever they are absent from work, adding that management started with a target of 160 in 2015, which kept on increasing until it reached 350.

When contacted, the Human Resources Manager of the company, Ms. Lara Folajimi, said she could not comment on the issue.

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