….as union destabilizes activities in NAFDAC
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has given the federal government 14-day ultimatum to reverse the ban on alchoholic beverages in sachets and pet in little bottles of 200ml and below, or face nationwide industrial action by the congress.
The federal government, through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on February 1st, had commenced enforcement on the ban on the alchoholic beverages in sachets and small or glass bottles of 200ml and below.
The reason given by NAFDAC for the ban was that, the sachets alchohol, unlike beer that has 4 to 8 alchoholic content, contain 30 percent alchoholic content and can easily be concealed by underaged youth.
But the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), an affilliate of TUC, yesterday said the decision of government to ban the sachets alchohol was ill-advised, ill-timed and would lead to 500.000 job loss in the industry.
The President of the association, Jimoh Oyibo and the General Secretary of TUC Nuhu Toro, who spoke during the protest of the union to the NAFDAC office in Abuja Tuesday urged government to reverse the ban within the two weeks or be prepared for a total clampdown of NAFDAC offices across the country by the union.
They said government should rather engage in the business of creating jobs for the people than venturing into removing them from their jobs to earn a living.
The union leaders however said they would partner with federal government to regulate the abuse of alchoholic beverages in sachets.
Meanwhile, the TUC protest Tuesday disorganised activities in NACDAC headquarter in Abuja, as the staff of the agency were locked in throughout the presence of the union.
Staff of the agency were seen pipping through the windows as they were not given the opportunity by the labour union to move around performing their duties.
The petty traders around the agency were not spared as they were denied access to the area by the labour union.
