Workers Threaten To Shut Down Chinese Company Over Slave Labour
Nigerian staff of Innoplas Nigeria Limited, a Chinese owned company based in Ogijo in Sagamu, Ogun state, have threatened to shut down the place over alleged inhuman treatment.
The workers alleged that the management, which produced plastics, nylons, bags and shoes treated them as slaves.
One of the workers, Dayo Odeyale alleged that the management of the factory do not take care for the workers if they are hurt in the course of duty, even as they are made to work without rest.
“Any Nigerian injured while working with the machines owned by the company could be sacked, while those who come late to work, complain of being sick or pause to rest during working hours could be surcharged.”
They also said that most of them are used as casual workers without formal letters of appointment and that they are paid a partly N7,000 monthly.
Another staff who gave his name as Silas, said that as casual workers, they work two shifts of morning and night between 7:00 am to 7:00pm and 7:00pm to 7:00am respectively.
He said that their Chinese bosses also dehumanised them and called them ‘Malagapi’, which means ‘slave’, and lamented that some Nigerian staff of the factory collaborated with the Chinese owners to exploit and maltreat them.
Repeated attempts made by Independent to speak to the General Manager, of the company, whom the workers called ‘Master Law’, proved abortive as security men at the premises barred our correspondent from seeing him for official comments on the allegations.
When our correspondent called Sushil Kumar Jindai, the contact person for the company for official comment on the allegations, his phone was switched off.
