Workers raise its voice against vandalisation of ALSCON

Workers of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) have accused its Russian managers, UC RUSAL, of plotting to cripple operations in the factory by dismantling equipment in the production lines and “siphoning of raw materials”.

The workers, who were represented by their trade union leaders, warned that if the federal government failed to wade into the matter, the vandalism of ALSCON’s main production plant by RUSAL will be crippled in the factory.

Led by the leaders of the company’s chapter of the Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN), the workers alleged that the Russian managers of ALSCON have dismantled stem rods and anodes used in the manufacture of steel ingots.

They also claimed that since the beginning of the year, RUSAL had dismantled parts of the plant and sold off machinery and raw materials.

In a document, the employees claimed that RUSAL had been cutting the massive rods and stems which carry the baked anodes to the pot room for the smelting of aluminium.

According to them, the Russian managers have also resolved to sell the unused Bussbar/Riser, which transmits electric currents to the pots for aluminium smelting.

The document revealed RUSAL has established four anode stem-destroying stations and planning to destroy 4,200 anode stems before the end of August.

It disclosed that the anode stems which were installed by Reynolds, the original builders of the plant, are used for the production of ingots.

The aluminium stems are to be melted into ingot for sale while the stem nipples are to be sold to contractors who are already on ground.

Also, ALSCON’s director of public relations, Ms Tatyana Smirnova, said: “The information that you have is misleading and does not correspond to reality. At present, ALSCON is cleaning its territory from unrealisable assets, obsolete and not suitable for use, equipment which cannot be utilised for production of aluminium.

The workers added that the management’s plan is to melt the Bussbar/Riser and sell it as ingots while the stem rods and anodes will be sold in their dismantled states.

The union said it has reported the matter to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). Officials of the BPE who visited Ikot Abasi on Sunday, July 21 and Monday, July 22, 2013, to inspect ALSCON’s plant also saw the systematic destruction of the factory, they said.

But BPE denied the union’s claims, declaring that its officials did not visit the plant in July.

According to its head, public communications, Mr Chigbo Anichebe, the BPE heard the same rumours a few months ago and, after investigations, discovered that there was no truth in it.