Members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees have inflicted heavy losses on Mayor Biscuit Company Limited (MABISCO) after picketing the company’s factory at O.P.I.C Industrial Estate in Agbara, Ogun State.

The locally-owned biscuits manufacturing company said the protest paralysed production and administrative activities, leading to the loss of millions of naira.

It was gathered that the company and the union members had been having discussions over some demands of the union and were yet to reach an agreement before the union members invaded the factory to forcefully halt production activities which forced workers to scamper for safety.

According to workers at the factory, the protest by the union members lasted for over six hours during which the unionists reportedly attacked factory workers in their attempt to halt activities in the factory.

MABISCO factory manager, Adeola Alao, while speaking on the protest, explained that the company and the union had an extended discussion on the matter a day before the protest.

Alao added that the union presented a four-point demand to the company, out of which MABISCO agreed on three and a half points with further discussion scheduled for another day.

“I was surprised to see a truckload of union members and their thugs in our premises this morning unleashing terror and anguish on our staff,” Alao said. He lamented that the action of the union “has set our company back with over N30 million,” asking: “Is this how President Buhari will provide 100 million jobs?”

The MABISCO factory manager noted that labour unions in Nigeria treat Indian and Lebanese-owned companies in the country with kid gloves but show little or no respect to Nigerian employers. “Perhaps, this may be chief reason why some Nigerians are afraid to invest in the country but prefer to take their money abroad,” he said.

A source who pleaded anonymity said the union’s “Gestapo approach to enforcing unionism in every establishment is becoming unbearable and embarrassing”.

“Inasmuch as this body has the right to demand for unionism in these corporate establishments, they should avoid combative approach and embrace dialogue,” he said.

According to a MABISCO staffer who was on duty when the union picketed the company, “The only fully owned Nigerian biscuits company, MABISCO, was attacked today by labour union. Tens of hundreds of thugs invaded the premises, chased production staff out of production lines leading to a loss of over N30 million. It is so sad that labour union had to take laws into their hands by terrorising and intimidating our workers, who were on their legitimate duty.”

He added: “We are not against unionism in the company but labour should stop this act of intimidation and harassment”.

Speaking on the effort of security operatives to restore order within the premises, Alao, the factory manager, said: “But for the timely intervention of Agbara division of the Nigerian Police Force, the union thugs would have set the factory ablaze.

“As it stands now, the police have restored order and everything is under control.”