Anti racism protest grounds SETRCO operations

Protesting workers of SETRACO Construction Company, SCC, have grounded activities at the company base in Gbaregolo, Ughelli South, as a result of a policy which they termed racial to the blacks working in the company.

The workers described the policy permitting only blacks working with the company to produce ID cards before gaining access into the yard to check infiltration of non staff into the company premises as racism.

The protesting workers who down tooled to impress on management of the construction giant to revert the policy without further delay also demanded the immediate transfer of the site manager Engr. Isham, a Lebanese.

According to a reliable source who craved anonymous, disclosed that the management of the company at the Gbaregolo base at a meeting gave the workers a two weeks ultimatum to produce ID card at the gate before gaining access into the company yard. The source stated that the policy was for security measures aimed at checking the infiltration of hostile community members into the company.

Reacting to this new policy, one of the staff humorously asked if foreign workers would also be carrying ID card. Mr. Isham humorously replied, saying their skin is their ID card. In what was dismissed on a lighter note grounded the company after two weeks when the policy was to be implemented.

According to the source trouble started when the workers demanded that foreign workers should also produce ID cards before gaining access into the company yard as all workers are equal before the policies of the company.

 It was further gathered that the site manager brazenly displayed his skin colour as ID card, claiming there was no need for whites to carry ID card because of their colour. This action, the eyewitness revealed sparked off wide condemnation and rage amongst the workers who demanded the immediate transfer of the site manager for introducing racism in the work place.

The dispute had reachedan impasse, as neither side would compromise when the commander of the Joint Task Force, JTF who calmed the protesting workers to return to work with a promise he will ensure that the corporate headquarters of the company act towards resolving the matter.

Some of the workers who spoke on the matter condemned the policy and expressed their disappointment at the action of Isham saying “they are taking us back to the inglorious days of colonialism when social interaction was stratified along colour of the skin. In a civilized society we will not allow that. We will resist it to the later, he should be transferred. Otherwise, we will not go back to work”, the protesting workers declared.

Meanwhile, Delta State Chairman of Construction Company Workers, Comrade Joseph Kosin who spoke to journalists on the issue advised the angry workers to remain calm as the issue will be amicably resolved. As at the time of filling this report, the management of the company could not be reached to comment on this issue.

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