Barely one month after the end of the seven-year Destination Inspection (DI) contract, former staffers of Global Scansystem Limited, numbering about 200 are said to be at daggers drawn with the company over its alleged refusal to settle some outstanding salaries and allowances owed them.
The Federal Government had in 2006 at the commencement of the DI scheme contracted four service providers comprising of Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited, SGS, Global Scansystems and Webb Fontaine to handle the Computerised Risk Assessment CRMS and scanning services for all imported good.
Under seven-year Build, Own Operate and Transfer BOOT, which ended last November after two extensions, the service providers in addition to providing the CRMS and scanning services, the service providers were to train officers of the service, who eventually took over the scheme.
Some staffers of the Nigerian firm, who spoke on the condition of anonymity lamented that Global Scan has refused to pay them their outstanding salaries and other allowances before laying them off.
One of the staff, who accused the management of divide and rule strategy, alleged that after working for the company for about eight years no form of severance package was paid to them at the end of the contract.
“You see, Cotecna is a foreign company and they have fully settled their workers but Global Scan, which is a Nigerian company has refused to settle us, see what Nigerians are doing to their fellow citizens,” the staff lamented.
He also alleged that the company had since September last year, more than one year before the end of the contract stopped the payment of the workers’ pension liabilities and other allowances.
On the next option available to the workers, he noted that the workers are currently considering several options, which they did not want to disclose yet.
When contacted, managing director of the company, Mr. Fred Udechukwu who denied the workers’ allegations. He said all former workers of the company have been paid their entitlements.
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