••• They are unknown to us, sponsored by politicians – ZL Global Alliance
Sanitation workers known as street sweepers in the employment of Ondo state Waste Management Agency on Monday protested non-payment of their monthly stipends for five months.
Scores of the sweepers, especially old women and widows, took to the street to protest to the Ministry of Environment.
They expressed their displeasure over the insensitivity of the agency in charge of the payment of their salary.
They specifically alleged the management of the ZL Global Alliances, a private company in charge of waste management and recycling in the state, as responsible for their woes.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting sweepers, Oluwaseun Ogunniyi, said they were former staff at the Ondo State Waste Management that was contracted by the ZL Global Alliance from 2019.
Mrs. Ogunniyi explained that they have been sweeping the streets, highway roads, and markets and still being owed the stipend of N10,000 for five months.
ZL Global Alliances Reacts
RE: PROTEST BY STREET SWEEPERS
Our attention has been drawn to a protest by some people who claim they are street sweepers working with our company, ZL Global Alliance in the early hours of Monday, December the 11th.
While we acknowledge the right of workers to express their grievance, it is important that such be done in all sense of honesty and integrity.
While the leaders of the protesters claimed that we owe them four months salary, it is not true as the only month we have not been able to pay them is due to some logistic challenges already being fixed and they are all already been told they will get the payment next week.
It therefore beats our imagination that some people will claim they are being owed four months salary.
Let it be noted that these are workers whose work is based on wages and not salary as they work for a maximum period of 3 hours. We have also been committed to their welfare as against their claims.
They enjoy free medical care for themselves, their spouses, and a maximum of four children each as well as other bonuses and benefits.
We had a town hall meeting with them last Wednesday urging them to be patient as we resolve the challenges inhibiting their payment. What then should have caused this protest remains unimaginable.
We understand the political situation in Ondo state and how some desperate elements are struggling to hold on to whatever to score cheap political points, however, they should know that we are reputable business concern not given to such frivolities.
They should therefore stop the attempts at using some of our workers to play their politics.
For us, we are checking through our records to identify the names of these purported protesters as many of our sweepers still worked today. We therefore wonder where the protesters are from.
For the umpteenth time, we like to state that we remain committed to the welfare of our staff in line with global best practices.
Signed
Tobi Benjamin
Deputy Managing Director
ZL Global Alliance
