DHL sacks 450

Following the industrial crisis which rocked Nigeria’s foremost courier services company, DHL, the management has announced the sacking of 450 staff of the company in Lagos.

Disclosing this figure in his office was the chairman of DHL, Mr. Gbenga Oladimeji. He said the sack became necessary because the striking workers refused to adhere to the instructions given by the management to resume normal working activities.

When P.M.News visited the company’s corporate headquarters at Toyota Bus Stop, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos, the management said the workers have been informed of their summary dismissal through a special notice pasted on the main gate of the company. The sack came as a result of the crisis between the workers and the management over poor conditions of service.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting between the management of DHL and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria held at the former’s office and signed by the Managing Director of DHL, Mr. Richard Seaver, the company stated, “consequent upon the meeting held between the management of DHL and the leadership of the Maritime Workers Union on stoppage of work embarked upon by the staff of DHL, it was resolved that the workers should call off their action with immediate effect and that no worker should be victimised by way of either dismissal or termination of appointment.” He added that a meeting should be urgently arranged to address the parties concerned.

It would be recalled that the workers had earlier embarked on strike because of what the chairman of the junior staff, Mr. Bolaji termed as oppressive working conditions. “We are fed up with the management and only its replacement could solve the problems,” he said. He listed the demands of the workers to include increment in salary with the minimum wage pegged at N6,400 per month as against the current salary being paid workers some of whom had put in 15 years of service and the absorption of contract workers who had worked for over 10 years.