AGGRIEVED workers of Unilever Nigeria Plc may drag the company to court early next year if the federal government fails to compel the management of the company to reverse their dismal according to BusinessWorld Intelligence.
The workers, who are 61 in all, were workers in both Oregun and Agbara offices of the multi-national company.
An official of the company who does not want his name in print told Business World that the management of Unilever was worried about the development as the workers have vowed to take a legal action against the company.
The workers had in September petitioned Prince Adetokumbo Kayode, minister of Labour and Productivity, seeking his intervention for their reinstatement with full benefits, saying some of them had put in not less than 27 years in the company.
In the letter in which Mr. Idono Omokenu, a former Unilever employee was a signatory alleged that the workers were fired by the company’s management following a protest by them over non-payment of their Christmas bonuses and packages.
The petition dated September 7, 2009; states in part as follows:  “In year 2007, workers in Oregun and Agbara offices of Unilever Plc demanded that management should increase our bonus and Christmas package. The management promised the workers to wait till 2008 for the increment and the workers did not hesitate.
“When November 2008 came, the workers, through the union, sent a reminder to management to fulfill their promise but the management reneged on their promise and told the workers that the company could not afford any increment.”
Several meetings were held subsequently between the workers and management to try and arrest a brewing industrial action but to no avail.” The ex-worker then resorted to protest to drive home their demand, which, according to their petition, led to the arrest of some of the workers’ union executive.
“On Friday 7th November, 2008, five members of staff and two unions executive were also arrested. The strike action was suspended on the l0th November 2008. Afterwards, the management of Unilever decided to summarily dismiss 61 workers; all of whom have worked with the company for between five and 27 years,” the petitioners further alleged.
The petitioners, under the aegis of Victimised Workers of Unilever Nigeria Plc, appealed to the minister to intervene in their plight and save their family from the hardship they are subjected to as a result of their sack without their entitlements being given to them.