Sachet Alcohol Ban: Over 500,000 Workers Will Lose Their Jobs-Unions

The Food Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FBTSS) and National Union of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employee (NUFBTE) have protested the ban of sale and consumption of alcohol in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, saying that over 500,000 breadwinners will lose their jobs over the ban.

Recall that NAFDAC on Monday announced that it has commenced the enforcement of the ban of sachet-packaged alcohol.

THE WHISTLER reports that consumers of the alcoholic beverages have described the ban on the beverages as ‘wrong timing’ and a major hit on them.

The Unions who took their protest to the Lagos office of NAFDAC on Tuesday, urged the government to reconsider the ban so as to save the jobs of many Nigerians who have families that depend on them for livelihood.

They lamented that the ban may lead to the eventual shut down of the industries producing the products which will in turn pose more problems to the Nigerian economy.

Also speaking during the protest, NUFBTE’s Vice Chairman, Lagos Council, Emmanuel Idogien, noted that most of their jobs are at stake due to the ban.

“Most of our jobs are at stake. Many companies will fold up, especially those local industries that serve as raw materials to the producers,” he said.

The Unions noted that their employers have been law-abiding and socially responsible citizens by paying their taxes, which runs to several billions of naira, thus contributing to economic growth.

They added that advocacy initiatives have been embarked upon to advise the public of the dangers of over consumption and underage drinking.

They pleaded with NAFDAC and the FG to lift the outright ban on these products while the agency implements regulation of the products as well as public enlightenment.

“With this ban, counterfeiters and moonshiners will have a field day which will give rise to various health problems,” they said.