Following the boiler explosion in the premises of Golden Guinea Breweries Plc, Umuahia, on February 17,2023, some workers of the company have demanded for their unpaid entitlements.
The workers, under the umbrella of the National Union of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Employees Umuahia chapter, made the demands in a statement jointly signed by their chairman, Samuel Amanze, and secretary, Chief Standhope Nworgu and made available to newsmen in Owerri.
They accused the management of being insensitive to their plights, lamenting that the management and the private investor that acquired the company, Pan Marine Investment Limited, have refused to settle the outstanding entitlements of old workers since the incident occurred.
The workers argued that their appointments were not officially terminated following the explosion, adding that they remain entitled to welfare benefits, terminal benefits, severance allowances, and other entitlements.
The affected workers further accused the management, and the core investor, Chief OkeyNzenwa, of operating in secrecy, claiming that workers were not consulted during the acquisition process and that Nzenwa has refused to provide a written copy of the agreement reached with the union.
The workers also revealed that those who resumed work after the private investor took over operations were not reinstated at their original grade levels. Additionally, they claimed that none of them has received the stipends supposedly paid by the private investor since January 2025.
The NUFBTE members called on Governor Alex Otti to revoke the purported sale or lease of the company and to reacquire it due to its economic potential and significance to the state.
The statement read in part:“If Golden Guinea Breweries returns to full operations, many Abia indigenes and residents will gain employment. Based on our research, GGB is capable of creating 1,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs, with immeasurable economic multiplier effects for the state.
“Crimes and criminality will reduce in Umuahia and its environs if GGB resumes full brewing and production operations. Small and medium-scale businesses such as restaurants, eateries, beer parlors, and retail stores will also thrive again.
“The host community, IsiamaAfara, and Afaraukwu in general, are losing out due to the current state of Golden Guinea Breweries. In the past, they benefited from employment quotas, scholarship awards for their children, access to water and other infrastructure, and other public relations initiatives.
“We are ready to engage in open debate with the management on the causes of the boiler explosion at Golden Guinea Breweries PLC, Umuahia, as well as other managerial and financial mismanagement issues.
“Posterity will be kind and appreciative of any administration that restores Golden Guinea Breweries PLC to its former glory as the pride of Umuahia and Abia State.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abia State Mr. OkoroOgbonnaya, has urged NUFBTE members to remain steadfast in their fight for the payment of their entitlements, assuring them that the union stands with them until a positive resolution is achieved.