Over 580 workers of the WEMPCO Group were allegedly driven out of their workplaces in June, prompting their union and lawyers to petition the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for urgent intervention.
In a petition dated August 17, 2026, AC Abope Chambers, counsel to the Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN), told the Minister of Labour and Employment that the eviction happened on June 9, 2026, “with the involvement of armed police personnel.”
The petition, also copied to the court-appointed receiver/manager, Mr. Romeo Ese Michael, said the action has put the jobs of 1,321 workers across 14 WEMPCO Group companies at risk.
The receiver/manager was appointed by the court following an application by United Bank for Africa Plc.
According to the lawyers, the eviction was “carried out arbitrarily and under circumstances they claimed violated the fundamental rights of their clients.”
They are asking the minister to step in, citing the scale of the dispute and its potential impact on industrial relations.
Specifically, the legal team urged the ministry to “invoke Section 17(b) of the Trade Disputes Act and refer the matter directly to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).”
The petition argued that “the number of workers affected and the wider implications of the dispute made a direct referral to the Industrial Court appropriate.”
The companies listed include Western Metal Products Company Limited, WEMPCO Steel Mills Company Limited, Standard Industrial Development Company Limited, NFE Industries Limited, United Rolling Mills Limited, Knight Metal Manufacturing Company Limited, Nigeria Enamelware Company Limited and Universal Nigeria Industries Company Limited.
Beyond the immediate eviction, the lawyers raised a legal question on the effect of receivership on jobs: “whether the appointment of a receiver/manager over a company could automatically terminate existing individual employment relationships.”
They warned of broader fallout if nothing is done.
“The petitioners said the WEMPCO Group’s operations provide direct and indirect employment, stressing that prolonged uncertainty over the workers’ jobs could affect industrial relations and the livelihoods of numerous households.”
The lawyers also linked the situation to national stability, urging the ministry to “act swiftly, warning of the wider economic and social consequences of potential large-scale job losses.”
They further noted that “large-scale unemployment” is tied to “broader economic and social insecurity,” and called on the ministry to intervene “before the dispute escalates.”
The union said the dispute should be handled within Nigeria’s labour dispute resolution framework.
As of press time, the Ministry of Labour and the receiver/manager had not issued a public response.
