Disengaged staff of Kwara Hotels on Wednesday in Ilọrin, the Kwara state capital, protested alleged terminal benefits of over N264m.
The workers who said 78 of them were involved in the issue, further stated that the previous management was yet to also pay them an outstanding N200 million.
They appealed to the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to intervene by coming to their rescue for them to pick up their lives.
The protesters displayed various placards like “Your Excellency consider our family”, “Pay our terminal benefit” and “fulfil your promise of no job loss” among others.
Speaking during the event, the former Acting General Manager of the hotel, Comrade Salami Moshood, said rather than the payment, the government through Harmony Holdings,” sent them disengagement letters through WhatsApp.
Comrade Cornelius Aiyeetan, the representative of the National Union of Hotel and Personal Services Workers, Abuja, the national body has rejected the letter.
“As far as we are concerned, that letter cannot stand. If the state government wants to terminate their appointment, they must address the payment of the N264,522,921 which covers 2016 to date especially after the Governor said there shall be no job loss when the hotel was shut in 2022 and the workers moved to the ministry of Business and Innovation.”
Speaking to City & Crime in her office on the protest, the Acting General Manager of Harmony Holdings, Mrs Mojirola Afolayan, said, “We are not aware of any protest.’’
According to her, “It’s true that they were disengaged. The government has been paying their salaries since the hotel was shut. When they refused to collect their letters, we have to go to their files and send it to them through emails. But the Governor has been briefed and their matter is being looked into.’’
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