By - DSM

4 LAGBUS WORKERS ARE INCARCERATED IN KIRIKIRI PRISON FOR EMBARKING ON STRIKE

Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights

4 LAGBUS WORKERS ARE INCARCERATED IN KIRIKIRI PRISON FOR EMBARKING ON STRIKE

CDWR DEMANDS THEIR IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE AND DROPPING OF ALL CHARGES

September 16, 2009

Four Lagbus workers namely Mark Marvelous, Jeffery Okosi, Toyin Taiwo and Olanrewaju Babatunde were on Monday September 14, 2009 arraigned at the Ikeja, Lagos, Magistrate Court 10 on a 3-count charge and subsequently remanded in the Kirikiri Prisons for participating in a peaceful strike action/protest on Monday August 17, 2009 over agitation for a better condition of service. 7 workers were actually arrested on August 17 2009 at Owode Ikorodu while on peaceful protest and after being brutalized by the police, 5 of them were subsequently detained at the Lagos Police Command Ikeja at the behest of the Lagos state government.

These persecuted workers before being unjustly sacked were in the employment of the Lagbus Asset Management which operates Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The company is a creation of the Lagos State government, but privately run under the public-private partnership.

The workers were detained for 5 days in brazen violation of constitutionally stipulated period of 24 hours to detain a suspect after which he/she must be released or charged to court. They were granted police bail on Friday August 21 2009 after their families had been forced to cough out N10, 000 each by Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Constable Rotimi and his colleagues.

On August 29, 2009 two policemen (Inspector Maureen and Constable Rotimi) alongside the pro-management chairman of the Lagbus unit of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil service, Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE), Mr. Alausa Ibrahim, went to search their houses as if they were criminals. The victimized workers have been illegally sacked after the strike action and their August salary illegally withheld.

Also as a result of the strike action, 64 other workers have been sacked by one of the contractors (Driving Solution Ltd) to the Lagbus Asset Management/Lagos State Government. Out of about 800 workers in the employment of Lagbus, 500 are contract staff outsourced to 4 contractors: Driving Solution Limited, EXCEL, NURTW and RTEAN. Moreover, 10 workers were initially suspended indefinitely on August 27, 2009 because they were trying to rally financial and moral support for their victimized colleagues, though they were recalled after two weeks. All this has shown despicable level of vindictiveness and highhandedness of the management in connivance with the state government. This strong-arm tactics of the management is a whip to keep other workers who may wish to demand improvement in perpetual slavery conditions.

The demands of the workers include a call on the Lagos State government to immediately put an end to contract staffing, increment in salary, a better condition of service, an end to indiscriminate sack, victimization of workers etc.

The incarcerated workers are arraigned on trumped-up charges such as: (1) conspired to commit felony, (2) unlawful assembly to disrupt the program of Nigeria Bar Association and (3) diversion of 5 buses and malicious damage of same.

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) demands the immediate and unconditional release of the 4 incarcerated workers and withdrawal of the charges. We also demand unconditional reinstatement of all the workers sacked as a result of their participation in the legitimate strike. We call on the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, to end all form of harassment and victimization of these workers and those who are still working. We equally call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other pro-masses’ organizations to join in the struggle to free these victimized workers.

We call on comrades, activists and union leaders to send in protest letters, petitions and text messages to the e-mail addresses and phone numbers below. Outside Nigeria protest letters could also be sent to Nigerian embassies.

Please also copy [email protected] the protest letters sent.

Lagbus Management: [email protected], 07041446001, 07041446002

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo: 08033011052

Lagos State Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. Frank Mba: 08038375844