Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

Abbey Trotsky vs Police and Sumal Foods Ibadan: A call for Solidarity Actions

Matter comes up Thursday October 24, 2019 at Magistrate Court Iyaganku, Ibadan

By Peluola Adewale
The trial of Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky), Acting National Chairperson of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) and Oyo State Coordinator of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) over trumped-up charges by the police at instance of Sumal Foods, Ibadan will come up on Thursday October 24, 2019 at a Magistrate Court Iyaganku, Ibadan.
This will be the third time he has been arraigned at the magistrate court after various arrests and detentions by the police and DSS. His offence is the solidarity action of the CDWR for struggle of casual workers of Sumal Foods in October 2018 against the slave conditions to which they have been subjected by the management. The struggle won some concessions but some of them have been reversed. It is in order to intimidate the workers from embarking on fight back and thereby maintain the company as a slave camp that the management has connived with the police and DSS to continuously use the state apparatus including court to harass Abbey Trotsky. This is why apart from the criminal charges against him at the Magistrate court; he is also facing two different cases respectively filed by the Summal Food management and the outsourcing companies which recruit casual workers for the company. One of the cases came up on Tuesday October 22.
Apart from the persistent harassment of Abbey Trotsky, the management also sacked many workers following the struggle in October 2018. However sadly, in all its anti-labour activities including poor working conditions and harassment of Abbey Trotsky, the management has enjoyed the full backing of the leadership of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), some of whom reportedly have interest in the outsourcing companies.
We demand immediate and unconditional dropping of all trumped-up charges against Abbey Trotsky and end to the state harassment; reinstatement of all politically sacked workers including full compensation to those who don’t want to return, and end to casualization, enthronement of decent working conditions and respect of democratic rights in Sumal Food Ltd. We call on Nigeria Labour Congress to intervene in these matters. We call for fighting trade unions to defend the rights and interests of workers and the working masses in general.
To press home these demands, we call for solidarity actions locally and internationally. We urge workers and activists to join us at the Magistrate Court Iyaganku, Ibadan on Thursday October 24. We thank comrades, collaborators and supporters who have been supporting this struggle since January 2019. We call for more supports. We also call for financial support towards this struggle which is part of our campaign against casualization. We thank all our lawyers who have been rendering their legal service free of charge.
Protest messages could be sent to [email protected]
President NUFBTE: +2348033297595
Donation could be made to:
Fortress Books Nigeria
1012616511
Zenith Bank