Officials of the Textiles Workers Union have urged the 19 northern governors to live up to expectation by ensuring that the entitlements of workers of the Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL) that were laid off many years ago were paid.

  According to the union, it was insensitivity on the side of the governors not to address the plight of the textiles workers after the firms became comatose.

  The northern governors, owners of KTL were said to be owing the workers over 600 million as salaries and other entitlements before the textiles company was shut down over ten years ago.

  Addressing a news conference in Kaduna recently, the textiles union officials commended the role played by a major shareholder of Nortex/Finetex Textiles Company, Alhaji Aminu Dantata who had decided to take over salary debt profile owed workers of the company to the tune of N250 million.

  The Secretary General of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Issa Aremu, said that the union was committed in ensuring that the governors of the 19 northern states meet the obligations of paying the thousands of the textiles workers whom they have abandoned many years after they shut down the company.

  He said: "The union is committed to seeing this process through as we also strive to get justice for our members in other closed textile companies; namely, Kaduna Textiles Limited (KTL) and Arewa Textiles Plc. Kaduna."

  Aremu argued: "The union since September 2005 obtained a court judgment for settlement of the entitlements of the workers amounting to N687, 073, 346.00", "unfortunately, the management and owners of the company (19 northern states) have remained insensitive to the plight of these workers in spite of repeated appeals, rallies and protests by the union.

  "As part of the union's struggle to ensure the payment of the terminal benefits of the workers, the union held several protest rallies to Northern Governors' Forum (NGF) meetings in Kaduna and at the gate of the company.  This is in addition to several news statements issued and letters of appeal addressed to several individual governors and other critical stakeholders including the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC)."

  Aremu who is also the vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) noted further: "As part of the struggle, we also participated at the Senate Public Hearing on Revival of Industries (textile industry inclusive) on 16th and 23rd of July 2009. On June 17, 2011, the union wrote a letter to the management of KTL requesting an audience to know their plans towards the settlement of the workers' terminal benefits.

  "The meeting held on July 6, 2011. During the meeting, the management appreciated the efforts of the union and revealed that management was making effort to ensure the settlement of the workers entitlements.  In March 2013, the Northern Governors' Forum (NGF) set up a committee of five-governors headed by the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, with Governors of Zamfara, Kano, Bauchi and Borno states as members.

  The committee was mandated to look at KTL and proffer recommendations on the way forward."

  But, the textiles union chief remarked that no positive results were recorded from the series of meetings with the owners of KTL, as he added, "we will continue to pressure the northern governors to settle the entitlements of the workers without further delay."

  However, Aremu commended Alhaji Dantata on his efforts to shoulder the responsibilities of paying Nortex/Finetex workers entitlements, pointing out that the "companies closed in September 2003 without settlement of workers gratuities." 

  He said that after consultation with Dantata and given the workers' acceptance of offer to liquidate the liabilities of the textiles companies, "the union wrote to the management accepting the offer of N250 million as full and final settlement of their gratuities", while also stressing, "the union clearly stated in the letter that nothing including the union dues should undermine the process of settling the N250 million terminal benefits of workers.

  "Subsequently, the union continued the pressure including the visit to Alhaji Aminu Dantata in Kano on Friday, March 29th 2013 by the leadership of the union led by the President, Oladele Hunsu and General Secretary, Aremu to compel him to fast-track the process of payment of the benefits of the workers.

  "As part of the enormous sacrifice, the union forfeited its legitimate outstanding union dues amounting to N7.6m to ensure payment of the workers benefits. We are happy with the success we have recorded.

  Workers of Finetex and Nortex Limited have started receiving payment alerts from the first installment of N50m out of the N250m the directors of the company offered to pay as full and final settlement of retirement benefits of the workers.

  "The N250m will be paid in five installments of N50m payable quarterly in line with the agreement reached with the Board of Directors. We commend in particular, Alhaji Aminu Dantata for his singular effort to ensure the payment of the entitlements of the workers.  We also commend our members in Finetex and Nortex for their patience and steadfastness since the past 10 years we have been on this matter."

  On the problems facing Arewa Textiles Plc, the labour leader said: "Effort to also ensure payment of benefits of workers of Arewa Textiles continues, as issues arising from a recent meeting are being closely monitored."

  He added: "The Board of Directors of the company are in serious negotiation with the Receivers (Union Bank Plc), while also discussing with the Bank of Industry for possible facility to revive the company.    

  Already the computation of the gratuities of workers have been concluded and submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration.  The union is hopeful of workers being paid their entitlements in no distant time if the current effort by all the parties is sustained."